At The End Of The Day
by hbomba
Summary: At the end of the day, sometimes nothing is all you need.
1. Chapter 1

Author's notes: This is set in season 2. It is a collection of missing scenes. I take liberties with the backstory because that's what you do in fanfic sometimes but stay within visible canon if that makes any sense.

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1\. Nothing

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"Don't be dead or asleep or awake. Don't be anything. What you most want, what you travel around wishing to find, lose yourself as lovers lose themselves, and you'll be that." - Unknown, translated by Coleman Barks

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There was a time when Lauren would return home after a long day working in the Light's lab and try to remember how to breathe, how to expand her mind beyond the chains that bound her free will. Bo was her reason for waking up these days-when she'd seen too much or felt like she had not done enough, Bo was always there, egging her on. Steam rose up from the bath, bath salts fizzing from beneath the surface, and Lauren sighed. Red wine stained her lips, her fingers tracing the rim of the crystal glass as she thought about Bo. The shrill ringing of her cell phone interrupted her thoughts and she answered coolly, with a head full of noise.

"Hey Lauren," Bo said, her voice syrupy sweet. "Are you busy?"

Lauren ran a hand through the water and smiled. "Not terribly."

"Do you mind if I stop by? I've got a situation of sorts developing."

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Lauren could hear the smile on her face. "So, can I?"

"Absolutely."

She exhaled. "Lauren…thanks."

A knock sounded at her door. "Can you hold on for a second?" She didn't wait for a reply and clambered out of the tub. She wrapped herself in a thick terry cloth robe and descended the stairs. "Bo, I'm gonna have to call you back." She ended the call and opened door to find Bo standing in front of her looking at her phone. She smiled. "How long have you been here?"

"Awhile."

"You didn't have to call."

"I was raised to never show up unannounced." A coy smile, and Lauren followed Bo's eyes as they traced the lines of her robe.

"Come in, come in." She stepped aside to let Bo pass. "What brings you here?" Lauren tucked a foot beneath her as she sat on the couch.

"You-I mean, I need your expertise on something."

"Sure." She nodded.

Bo reached into her pocket and sat across from Lauren. "I took this sample from the kidnapping scene."

"You're thinking it's Fae?"

Bo held up a plastic bag with a gooey substance inside. "If it's Human, they probably should seek medical attention."

Lauren made a face and took the sample from Bo. "I see what you mean."

There was a lull then. A hopeless, endless spiral into silence. Lauren was becoming more and more aware of her underdressed state, catching Bo's eyes stealing glances at her bared skin. She stood abruptly and carried the sample to her desk. They have had sex and they had made love and as much as she still wanted her and despite knowing how Bo would touch her, Lauren was nervous. Things were tied up and Lauren was tied down by the demands of the Light. Bo had crashed into her life where everything was upside down and now chaos was the voice of reason in her ear.

"I should get going…" Bo stood and let her arms flop against her sides awkwardly.

She wanted to ask her to stay for dinner and the night but something kept her locked down. She had let Bo closer than anyone since Nadia but there was still so much uncertainty. She had the potential to be the most powerful Fae Lauren had ever studied-or loved for that matter. She couldn't avoid it. She loved her. The kind of love that made her throat scratchy and her eyes glassy. And she lived for it.

She nodded forlornly. "Sure. I'll text you when I know more about your sample."

She smiled. "Thanks." Bowing her head she, turned to leave.

"Bo?" Lauren said hesitantly.

"Yeah?" She turned back toward Lauren.

"Thanks for stopping by."

The smile that followed was of the crushing sort. She wanted to belong to Bo-really belong to her-but she knew that Bo would never belong to her.

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There were other times when a visit from Bo meant more than a slime sample. Dinner, a movie on her couch, an invitation to the Dal for drinks which would inevitably end with Bo slinking out of her bedroom at three a.m. They didn't talk about it, each knowing the unspoken emotion they shared was a complicated jumble and picking it apart was more difficult than ever imagined. There was the intense competition for Bo's affection and Lauren wasn't always certain where she stood with her because of it.

The clock blinked two fifty-five and the mattress sunk beside her. Lauren opened her eyes to find Bo looking down at her. "I'm going to take off." She smiled.

"So soon?"

"Lauren, I…"

"You need to feed… Of course."

"No." She shook her head. "It's not like that. Look, you don't need me hanging around making it an awkward morning after."

"You don't need to leave." It was as close as she could get to asking her to stay without actually asking her to stay.

Bo leaned down and kissed her. It was a solid kiss, her lips squarely against Lauren's, and holding the contact long enough to make her wish she had held it longer. Lauren covered her hand and squeezed.

"I'll call you…"

Lauren looked away as Bo stood in front of her, hands shoved deep in the pockets of her leather jacket. A shrug followed an impish smile, she turned and got as far as the bedroom doorway before Lauren gave in to her own needs. "Stay."

Bo's hand came to rest on the doorframe, her eyes, unseen to Lauren, and closing at the request. "Lauren, I'll just be in the way."

She sat up. "You won't." Her hands smoothed the duvet on either side of her. "Come back to bed, Bo." She knew that Bo was trying to spare her in some way but they had been dancing around what this was for months. And with growing frequency, Lauren found her feelings reaching critical mass. It was becoming more and more difficult to deny what she felt-what she had felt from the moment she first laid hands on her.

Bo turned slowly, eyes settling on her, still wrapped in a sheet but laid bare before her. She shrugged her jacket off her shoulders and tossed it onto the chair beside the bureau. Slipping out of her skin-tight pants, Bo's hands tugged her top over her head, her hair only out of place for a moment before seeming to smooth itself over. And then she was walking towards her, bold strides tilting her hips dramatically. Lauren thought that she was ready for her but she never was. Even after extinguishing her need once already, Lauren was at a loss.

She approached the bed and Lauren's mouth felt dry. And Lauren couldn't remember how to swallow as Bo threw back the duvet and slid beneath the sheets beside her. She scooted up next to her and when their skin glanced upon each other Lauren was lost again. She closed her eyes and exhaled. She had wanted to talk to Bo about feelings but she didn't want to say the wrong thing and complicate things further. She was paralyzed by emotions she still didn't fully understand.

Bo pressed herself against Lauren's back and rested her chin on her shoulder. "I feel like you're holding out on me." She blazed a trail, kissing along Lauren's shoulder and pausing to smell her hair.

She squeezed her eyes shut. She was approaching everything she wanted and it was more than she had bargained for. "It's a lot to take in," she whispered, wishing it was darker in her bedroom than it was.

A hand gripped Lauren's shoulder. "Do you want me to go?" Bo asked.

"No."

"You sure?"

"It's the only thing I'm sure about."

They were so very far from where they'd started and yet, there was still so much further they could take it. Lauren loved her, there was no way around it. She was more certain of that than she was of any other love she had ever felt. Bo seemed unfazed by her emotions so Lauren could only take that to mean that her feelings were reciprocated even if Bo would never say it out loud. They shared many nights together but Lauren knew that the Dyson factor was still very much in play. Bo's heart reverberated against her back and Lauren was undeterred. She was in Bo's arms and they were in her bed together-she had dreams that started that way. Whatever Bo did with Dyson didn't matter. At least not right that instant. She'd agonize over Dyson when she was alone. Right now she just wanted enjoy Bo's skin on hers, the heat radiating off her in waves, her lips scorching a path along her back until Lauren finally got the nerve to roll onto her back.

Bo smiled at her, dragging a finger from her chin to a spot between her breasts. Biting her bottom lip, Lauren lifted Bo's face to her own. "Can we… take a break?"

"Sure. Wait-you mean the sex, right?"

She laughed unexpectedly. "Yes." She nodded. "The sex."

Bo pulled her hand away and fell back onto the pillows, exhaling. "What do you wanna do then?"

Her eyes were wide, her lips pursed and Lauren couldn't suppress a smile. "Nothing," she said.

"Nothing?" Bo asked, confused.

Lauren lifted Bo's arm and draped it over her side. Her other hand came to rest on Bo's cheek. "Nothing," she repeated.

Bo nodded. "I gotta be honest, people don't usually ask me to stick around after the show."

"The show?" Lauren laughed. "Is that what you're calling it now?"

"Would you prefer the main event?"

"No," A quirk of her lip and Lauren shook her head. "Please don't."

Bo hummed against her shoulder. "Thanks."

"For what?"

"For inviting me to do nothing with you. It's nice."

She leaned her face into her pillow. "It is." Lauren felt Bo relax into her, and she let herself exhale, finally. It had been ten minutes since Bo said anything and Lauren was still wide awake and staring into the darkness between them. Bolstered by the shadows, Lauren wet her lips and swallowed the fear that had her in its grips. "I love you," she said, grasping her pillow.

She wasn't sure what she expected to happen next, but Bo didn't move a muscle. She drew in a long, sleep-fueled breath and sighed. Lauren was unable refrain from smiling as she watched her slip into a dream state. She had said it out loud and Bo heard it on some level of her consciousness. The time would come when she could look her in the eye and say those words but for now, she felt galvanized just having said it. Lauren rest her head on her pillow again and watched the Succubus with great interest. They had had sex, they had made love and now Lauren was closer than she ever thought she'd get.

Her eyelids felt heavy, sleep was coming but she couldn't look away from Bo's profile. Her beauty was unsurpassed but it was Bo's heart was where Lauren's interest lay as trite as that sounded, but it was the truth. Laying her head down against Bo's chest, Lauren closed her eyes and listened to the steady beating of her heart. Slowly falling, letting the rhythm of the rush of blood thumping against her ear lull her to sleep.

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TBC


	2. Chapter 2

2\. A Morning After

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"We learn geology the morning after the earthquake." | Ralph Waldo Emerson

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She awoke alone, the sun shining on her from the skylight above her bed. She reached across her bed to find that she was alone. Frowning, she never expected Bo to stay, but hoped that she would. She wrinkled her nose-something was amiss. Despite the fact that Lauren did not have a timed coffee pot, the aroma of coffee hung heavily in the air. Lauren inhaled the bold notes, mouth watering at the smell. Her eyes opened suddenly.

"Bo?" She said to herself as she rolled out of bed and into a robe. When she caught herself tip-toeing down the stairs, Lauren straightened. She scanned the main floor. There was no sign of Bo but the coffee maker burbled angrily on the kitchen counter. Lauren slumped into the couch and sighed. And as if on cue, the front door swung open, the crackle of a paper bag sounded and Bo sashayed back into her living room.

"Breakfast?"

Lauren laughed. "What did you do?"

A smile- _that_ smile. "You know for a doctor, you don't have any breakfast food, and they say breakfast is the most important meal of the day, so I picked something up." She opened the bag and looked up. "Now I didn't know if you were a sweet or savory breakfast person so…" She lifted the box lid. "Donuts…" She waved a hand showcasing the glazed heart attack and diabetes bait of the myriad pastries. "Or…" She reached into the bag. "Bagels, because millions of New Yorkers can't be wrong." She shrugged her shoulders and smiled. "Hungry?"

She swallowed. It was awkward-at least it was to Lauren-she didn't know what she expected, but breakfast and coffee served up by the Succubus was definitely not on her radar. The morning after vibe didn't seem to faze Bo, which made perfect sense but still served to baffle Lauren on some level.

"Lauren?"

She blinked and attempted to smile. "Yeah," she said breathlessly. "Starved." Hesitating for a second before leaving the sofa and stepping into the kitchen with Bo. She inspected the ample variety of donuts before dipping into the bag of bagels and retrieving one.

"I pegged you for sweets-in-the-morning-girl."

Lauren smiled knowingly. She was, in fact, a sweets-in-the-morning-girl but something about breakfast with a Succubus seemed to call for the opposite. After all, things were so far on their heads now that Bo and Lauren were hostages of their own compulsions, and she was simply challenging the laws of attraction.

"If you're not into sweets why do you-" Bo barely had time to brace herself when Lauren kissed her. She took a step back, pulling Lauren with her as she steadied her. When they parted, Bo cocked her head at Lauren. "On second thought, millions of people skip breakfast every day." Bo took her hand and pulled her towards the stairs. Lauren didn't budge.

"There's no time," Lauren said gravely. "I have to be at the lab in an hour."

"Or we could stay in." Bo flashed her patented smile and for some reason, Lauren resisted.

"I have to go to work, Bo. The Ash-"

"The Ash gives you sick days, doesn't he?"

She looked down at their hands, still intertwined. "Someone will come for me, Bo."

"Then they'll have to go through me first."

Her downcast eyes closed momentarily before the corner of her mouth turned up. "Bo…"

She put her hands on Lauren's waist. "C'mon, take a walk on the wild side." Bo's eyes flashed.

"It's more complicated than what I want. The Ash-"

"The Ash is the guy that's holding you down, Lauren."

"I'm in a difficult position." It was all she could say. There was so much she needed to tell Bo, so much she needed to come to terms with as well.

They stared at one another feeling the tension, the want, the need, and the overwhelming pull of the other. Standing transfixed, Lauren lifted her hand from her side and as she reached for Bo, the Succubus' phone rang. She recoiled and turned away, hugging her sides and exhaling. Bo's face fell and she let it ring twice more before reaching into her boot and answering it. "Hey Trick." Lauren started to clean up the breakfast sprawl as Bo paced in front of her sofa. Hanging up the phone, she looked up at Lauren. "Trick needs to see me, he says it's important."

She nodded because it was all that she could do. She couldn't ask her to stay because she was too afraid of the consequences. Having a morning visitor wasn't exactly the wisest idea she'd had either but she had made her bed, literally and figuratively, and she had no regrets. They finally had a morning after and it wasn't perfect by any stretch of the imagination but Lauren would always remember Bo's face when she walked back into her loft with an armload of donuts and bagels. And how Bo had smiled, totally at ease in their situation when Lauren was still struggling with it. Lauren knew the darkness didn't hide the way they looked at each other. Everyone knew there was something simmering between them in that darkness. Gradually, Lauren was being pulled into Bo's universe. And not just her darkness, but her light.

And in the light of day, over bagels and donuts, they were still inextricably bound together. It was more than sex. It was more than friendship. It was love-at least that's what Lauren felt-but Bo had never committed one way or the other and Lauren couldn't tell if Bo was extremely calm or oblivious. Right then Lauren's heart was pounding so loudly in her ears she was sure Bo could hear it when she leaned into her space. "I'll call you."

Lauren nodded, bereft. "Sure," she said, watching her go.

At the door, Bo turned. "Hey," she said. "Are you free tonight?" Lauren nodded, her voice squelched in her throat. "Save the date." Bo smiled and then she was gone.

Leaning against the kitchen island, Lauren braced herself. _They were dating now?_ Things were going in reverse. They had slept together first and now they were what? Lauren was coming to terms with the fact that she had began a friends-with-benefits relationship with a Succubus. Some days she had to wonder what planet she lived on. The Fae were an endless race of every imaginable supernatural variation and were now in her memory bank and of them all, Bo was the special one. She looked at the clock.

"Shit." She headed up the stairs.

Time waits for no one, as Lauren had discovered in her years with the Light. And her service demanded that she shower away the evidence of the night before and head to the lab to carry on with the charade. But tonight she would be with Bo again and Lauren wasn't prepared for what lay ahead for them. That was part of the excitement with Bo. It was a roller coaster and she had dared Lauren to ride it with no hands.

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TBC


	3. Chapter 3

3\. A Night Out

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"Chase her. Chase her even when she's already yours." | Unknown

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"I'm glad you could come out tonight." Bo said over the noise of the crowd that gathered around the order window of Beaucoup Burgers, a retro diner out by the freeway. Its outdoor-only seating was charming on a summer's day and just plain cruel during winter. The picnic tables around them began to fill up as the crowd at the order window thinned. Sitting across from Bo, Lauren looked down at her burger wrapped in foil, the side of fries in a paper boat. Her eyes met Bo's, who smiled as she bit into a French fry.

"I'm not sure sneaking out the loading dock would be classified as leaving freely."

"Why do you let them keep you holed away like that?"

"Bo… I-"

"I'm sorry, it's just… you're this beautiful, intelligent, _amazing_ doctor…" She trailed off, breathless, as if she didn't have the words to continue.

"I am also Human." She looked away.

"And there's nothing wrong with that. Some day they'll get it. I'll show them what Humans can be to Fae."

"Food?"

"Not to me." Bo set her hamburger next to her dwindling fries. "How did they trap you? They tricked you, didn't they?"

"No, the Fae have been very good to me." Bo shook her head. "You don't believe me."

"You can't miss a day of work, they don't let you leave, and Lachlan frowns on visitors. What part about that is good?"

"I get to do my research," Lauren said simply before biting into her cheeseburger.

"That's it?"

"It's all I've had for the past five years until…" Lauren swallowed.

"Until what?"

"Until you came."

"Oh." She nodded slowly.

"Now my freedom seems so far out of reach, and my life, so out of control."

"I have that effect on people."

Lauren laughed good-humouredly. "I'm awake again," she said. "And I owe that to you."

Bo brushed the compliment off, as she was so practiced at doing, and looked back at the Camaro, bathed in neon lights from the diner. "When do you have to be back?"

"My curfew was at nine"

"That is so high school," Bo scoffed.

Lauren laughed. "I suppose it is." She dropped the remaining burger in the red and white checkered paper tray and took a napkin from the dispenser. "

"Aren't you afraid he'll punish you?"

"Yes." The fear on her face was apparent. "But I rarely get out and there never seems to be time for night's like this."

"Lauren…" She was worried. It was obvious Bo had never considered the ramifications of her constant opposition of Lachlan and rule-breaking in Lauren's name. "Can I take you home?"

"It's not my home. I live there with my things, but it's not my home."

Lauren didn't have a home anymore. No family and no home. And if it weren't for Bo, she wouldn't have any friends either. They kept her in the lab and in her loft until Bo came for her. It's why she was willing to risk Lachlan's raving or the possibility of worse. She was prepared to incur his wrath just as she was eager to love Bo because bravery came in many forms and Lauren's was a brave heart.

Bo covered her hand on top of the picnic table. "You wanna get out of here?"

Lauren's sad expression brightened at the suggestion. "Sure."

Untangling herself from the table, Bo stood and cleared their trash to the can at the side of the building. When she returned, Lauren was leaning on the table, waiting. Bo sized her up as only she could and Lauren cocked her head to the side to receive her appreciation.

"Ready?" Bo's eyes sparkled and Lauren fell under the Succubus' spell.

She wasn't using her Fae gifts on Lauren, but her natural magnetism was so strong that Lauren couldn't resist her-as if she even wanted to. "Yeah." She nodded as she led the way to the car.

They pulled out onto what was a busy roadway that had gone mostly silent due to the time of night. At the intersection Bo turned onto the freeway in the opposite direction of the compound. Lauren didn't stop her or ask where they were going, she trusted Bo and she would take whatever punishment Lachlan would dole out because of this trip.

They were in the hills, surrounded by trees and Bo drove with purpose and poise. She knew what her Camaro could do and she pushed it to its limits in every maneuver. The wheels started to spin on the gravel road as they ascended but Bo maintained control. At the top, the trees parted and a panoramic view of the city sprawled in front of them. She pulled up to the edge of the lookout point and killed the engine.

Bo turned to face Lauren whose expression was one of mirth. "What?"

"Lookout point? Now who's so high school?" Lauren laughed. Bo's smile was disarming and suddenly Lauren couldn't say what was so funny. "Do you come up here often?"

Bo shook her head. "No, never."

"Oh." It was awkward again. Lauren shifted uncomfortably next to Bo.

"I come up here sometimes to cool off and figure things out." Bo was serious and Lauren felt bad for having made a joke.

"Well, it's a great view." Lauren frowned at how blasé she sounded.

"Only one like it in the city." Bo's hand reached for her, pausing to lift the hair on her shoulder, admiring the golden strands between her fingers. "I don't bring people up here. Kenzi doesn't even know I come here."

Lauren swallowed. The air was suddenly supercharged. She felt Bo's pull and that familiar ache began again. "Thank you for bringing me here," she said, her eyes locking with Bo's, losing herself even more to the moment.

Bo leaned across the emergency brake and into her space. They were face to face in the dark of night, city lights twinkling below, and when their eyes met Bo's intention twinkled there, too. She kissed Lauren, delicately, reverently and something deep inside of her stirred. Lauren brought a hand to Bo's cheek and caressed it softly as she kissed her. It was intimate-more intimate than any encounter they had together up to that point. Her kiss was heavy with emotion and Lauren was floored by it. As far as she knew, Bo was still hung up on Dyson, and Lauren wasn't in it for the competition. _That_ was high school.

Bo pulled away, but only by an inch or two. "What's wrong?" Her breath feathered Lauren's cheek.

She shook her head. "Nothing," she lied.

Bo's hands were in her hair on either side of her face as Lauren leaned into her again. Their mouths met with a fierce passion the likes of which Lauren had never felt. Bo's kiss was unending and her hands? Well, Lauren had nicknamed them Lewis and Clark.

Bo hovered above her, knee pressed between her legs, her mouth crushing against Lauren's. The click of her seatbelt unfastening, and Lauren felt more eager than ever. Whatever Bo had planned, she wanted it just as much if not more. Reaching beside her, Bo released the seat and it leaned back unexpectedly and she tore her mouth away from Lauren's. "Lauren…"

Her eyes were wide, the awe on her face apparent as she covered Bo's lips with a pair of fingers. Whatever Bo was going to say, Lauren wasn't ready to hear it, and when she withdrew her hand, she replaced it with another kiss. A kiss that scorched the air between them and found Bo unfastening Lauren's pants. The excitement she felt when Bo crawled over her was overwhelming. Whenever they were together, she was in awe of the feelings Bo resurrected in herself. And when Bo's hand dipped into her underwear, Lauren gasped. Her eyes drifted to the fogged over window and then to Bo's face. Her tongue glanced over her lips, her eyes an ethereal blue, and the pleasure on her face was plain to see. Her hand was circling her now, a finger sliding deeper into her. She pressed her head back against the headrest and bit her lip.

Bo admired her every expression, her every gasp. She pressed her palm against Lauren's cheek, teased tendrils of her hair apart, caressed her breasts all while maintaining a maddening rhythm between her legs. Lauren wasn't uncomfortable to be watched so carefully, a little self-conscious maybe, but nothing she couldn't overcome in the first few moments after Bo sunk into her.

Lauren hips moved against the leather seat that creaked with her effort as Bo stepped up the pace. She was panting, unable to catch the breath that kept getting caught in her throat, coming faster and faster. She forced her eyes to open, to watch Bo watching her. She pulled Bo's face down to hers. It was a breathless, desperate kiss and it didn't last long, her hands clutching at Bo as her body began to quake. The lights behind her eyes were blinding and she squeezed them closed harder.

She turned her head and broke their kiss, gasping for air. Her body shook with a force she could not describe as release washed over her and Bo leaned back to watch it all unfold. When Lauren's eyes drifted back to Bo's face, the serenity she found there surprised her. Not because she didn't think Bo had it in her, but because she expected Bo to be more than ready for her turn. But Bo declined with a smile as Lauren buttoned her pants and straightened her blouse.

"You're sure?"

Bo kissed her gently. "I'm good. Don't worry about me. I should get you back to the compound."

"Yeah," her tone was one of disappointment but she put a smile on it.

"Hey…" Bo put her hand on her knee. "Lauren…" She turned to face Bo. "I had a really good time tonight."

"Me too," she laughed. "Obviously." Lauren fastened her seatbelt again as Bo turned her key in the ignition and put the car in gear. Once again, Lauren was captivated by Bo driving that beast of a Camaro which helped to dull the angst building in her chest. The drive felt longer than it was and Bo tapped along on the steering wheel to the classic rock station as she drove. Lauren stole glances at her profile and felt the yearning begin to grow again.

The Camaro jostled them as they drove over a bump and into the parking lot. Bo shut the lights off as she approached the compound and stopped the car well away from the entrance. She looked at the front doors, guarded by security.

"Shit." She looked around. "I'll help you sneak back in."

"It's okay. I'll go in the front."

"Lauren, you can't. Lachlan will-"

She unbuckled her seatbelt. "It'll be worse if I'm caught sneaking in."

"I'll distract the guard." Bo reached for her door handle.

"Bo…" Lauren's eyes were kind and her voice confident. "I'll be fine."

She nodded and put the Camaro in drive, pulling around the lot to let Lauren off at the front doors.

"I'll call you." It may as well have been an I-love-you for how often they used that phrase. Bo would call and they would start their dance all over again, each time getting closer and closer to the big one.

Lauren nodded and popped the door open. She inhaled her last breath of Bo and climbed out of the car. She could feel Bo watching her back as the security guard opened the door for her and she disappeared inside. She walked quickly through the facility and to her unit. As she approached the door, her heart sank as she spotted the notice on her door. A sorry-I-missed-you note written on her letterhead. He'd been inside and looked around. She unlocked the door and pushed inside-back to her life under the Ash's thumb. She sighed as she leaned on the door until it closed. Everything was dark, save her grow lights, which cast a blue light over her kitchen. She didn't bother with work or pleasure. The day was done and she was trudging up the stairs with her thoughts of Bo before drifting off.

She undressed slowly, as she thought about Bo in high school-all that power and no one to tell her how to control it. She pulled back the duvet and slipped between the sheets. Rolling onto her side, she looked at the other side of the bed and remembered the day before-when Bo was wrapped around her and she could pretend that was how it always was. She closed her eyes, hoping sleep would come quickly so she could live that dream one more night.

* * *

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Author's notes: This chapter takes place during 2x03.

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4\. Alone, Together

* * *

"Misery loves company. So does masturbation." | Unknown

* * *

She swabbed vents and traversed ducts in the name of science-Lauren's science-and despite the vermin and bugs, Bo sort of enjoyed herself. Lauren was delicious as she doctored the ailing residents and Bo had a front row seat to observe her bedside manner. In a word, Bo was captivated. They spent half the day together, or in the close proximity of each other, and Bo was hungry for more.

Two days ago she had her hand in Lauren's pants in the humid interior of her Camaro. It was a bold move, but those were the only kind of moves Bo had. Things were accelerating and it was hard to say who the driving force behind their speeding love affair- _love?-_ she scoffed. Dyson had ruined her and she worried that what she felt for Lauren might not be enough to bring her back from the ashes.

When she listened to herself talk about Dyson and Lauren she realized she was onto something with Lauren, she wasn't just a passing fancy, she was an enduring force. It wasn't until she was with Dyson in the minefield of her subconscious that she knew. It was over, and Lauren was the one that interested her now. Her beauty, her inherent nerdiness, the way she said specimen but mostly just the way she looked at Bo.

Bo checked her phone for missed calls. Nothing. She sighed and called her again. It was probably the last call needed for a baker's dozen and Lauren still didn't answer. It was ten o'clock Bo set her cell phone on the side table. Kenzi was downstairs holding the fort and Bo was tossing and turning in her massive bed by herself, still too awake to succumb to sleep. If she could just talk to Lauren…to make sure she was okay. Lachlan was playing a dangerous game with Lauren and Bo looked forward to being the one that destroyed him for it. But for now, she remained concerned.

Lachlan had denied her bid to see Lauren even after Bo had been as nice as she could muster on an hour's sleep in three days. He was his usual charming self, and by charming Bo, of course, meant that he was a true ash-hole. He was holding Lauren somewhere and Bo worried it was because of that night, with her hand so deep in Lauren's pants, that Bo could still feel her. Inevitably Bo's thoughts turned to sex-the Succubus' curse and gift all rolled into one-and she remembered their first time together. Lauren had been so careful, and had loved her so thoroughly that Bo was in awe of her. Granted, Bo didn't have a lot of experience with Humans that stayed alive, but from what she could remember, there was little tenderness. The men had wanted to use her, so she used them first. The women were another story, she used them, too, but the difference was they knew she was using them.

Bo sighed. She needed to feed but she was exhausted, and yet wide awake. Her body was humming and thinking about Lauren on top of her was not helping the situation. Bo had left herself in a bad way when she declined Lauren's attempt to please her in the car and she hadn't fed since. Her thoughts returned to Lauren and Bo's hand was reaching beneath the sheet and between her own legs. She pushed the fabric of her panties aside and hummed as her fingers brushed against herself. She smiled and closed her eyes, retreating to her memories.

A shiver ran through her as Lauren flashed into her mind. She remembered how gentle she was, and how it moved her deeply to be touched with such care. Bo thought about how she felt that first time their skin met-a spark of what was to come had not been wrong. Their connection had only deepened since then. Swiping a finger across herself, Bo's hips rocked gently as her other hand squeezed her breast.

She took a deep breath and kept her breathing steady. This would do nothing to quell her hunger but Bo would enjoy every slick move between her thighs, and she would do it thinking of her favorite doctor-and the only person that truly understood Bo as a woman and as a Fae. There was the delicious pressure of knuckles skipping over her that she had to bite her lip to keep from crying out. And when she tested her waters, a howl of pleasure was but a whimper.

She pressed a finger inside and her breath caught in her throat. She thought about how Lauren had unabashedly sunk into her their first time. And the look on her face as she watched Bo's was one of awe. It inspired Bo to be better, to be everything Lauren needed that night.

She had to admit that she had fallen off on that track and their encounters since their first time had been of the feral and greedy sort on Bo's part, at least. Her hips jumped. Lauren's mouth was on her-at least in her mind's eye-and Bo moved faster. Her hand moved in sweeping circles and her breath caught in her throat.

She yearned. A yearning so vast that Bo was still unprepared for the flashes of Lauren that continued to play like an old movie on the backs of her eyes. Bo squeezed her hips with her hands and lifted her own to meet Lauren's, she rocked against her, touched her face and her hair,. She kissed her and it was over. Her body shook with a concentrated effort as she rode a wave of satisfaction.

Bo stretched languidly on the cool sheets and looked at her phone. No calls. She inhaled deeply and rolled onto her side, her palm warming the sheet beside her. She was on the cusp of something, readying herself for the inevitable fall. Bo was all heart and she couldn't deny how Lauren made her feel.

After Dyson-and the devastation wrought-Bo wasn't sure she could do it again. She had to be sure that Lauren wouldn't and leave her alone again. It was selfish and she probably knew that on some level, but Bo had lived her life without borders. She had been a killer-albeit a reluctant killer-and she had been a girl who loved a boy before she was a Succubus who loved a Wolf and now, what? Bo let the question roll from one corner of her mind to the other as sleep neared. Her hunger burned in her belly but she wasn't in the mood for a pizza boy or a drunken hook-up. She wanted Lauren even knowing it would only exacerbate her hunger further. She checked her phone again.

Nothing.

Bo's hand squeezed into a fist. The next time she saw Lachlan… She sighed and rolled onto her back again, staring at the stained ceiling. There was nothing she could do right now. Bo wasn't used to feeling helpless so not being able to help Lauren was a tough pill to swallow. She knew Lauren would be fine. Lachlan wouldn't hurt her or he'd have Bo to reckon with and she thought enough of herself to believe that he wouldn't want that. Her mind rolled scenario after scenario over and over in her head but she couldn't come up with a way to save Lauren and not bring hell down on them both. Bo began to let herself give in to the tiredness that she felt. Her eyes drifted shut and the gears slowed-Bo was in deep.

* * *

Staring into a microscope, Lauren's eyes began to blur. She looked away and squinted her eyes to make them focus again. The clock on the wall said ten-thirty. She was exhausted, after being taken from her loft at eight that morning and brought directly to the lab. She certainly hadn't anticipated the new Ash being such a tyrant, but then she hadn't anticipated a lot about the Fae. Her eyes drifted to her colleagues who were being rounded up to be taken back to their quarters by a huge security guard. Lauren, however, hadn't been approached to leave and she was really beginning to wonder why.

"I'll only be a minute, Doctor," the security guard said as he ushered the group of five out into the hall.

Lauren looked up from her microscope disinterestedly and nodded. When she couldn't hear his keys jingling anymore, Lauren darted across the lab to the phone on the wall. Quickly, she dialed but the moment before the call rang through, a fat hand came down on the telephone and hung up. Lauren turned around to find the security guard standing behind her.

"No phone. You know that."

"I was ordering a pizza. I've been working like a dog. I'm hungry."

The guard looked at her suspiciously. "You don't want me to see who picks up if I press redial, do you?"

Lauren sighed. "Can I go to my quarters now?"

"Yes, ma'am."

Lauren cleaned up her station, removed her gloves and washed her hands, all in her own time. She calculated the distance to every door they passed as he walked her to her loft. She knew she could outrun the guard but she wasn't so sure about the others that were posted on the outside of the building.

"Good night, Doctor," he said, unlocking the door to her unit and letting her pass.

Lauren stepped inside and watched him pull it shut, followed by the jangle of keys as he left. Immediately, she went to the telephone and, lifting the receiver, she found it dead. "Shit." She slammed the phone down. They had taken her cell phone, cut her phone in her unit and refused to let her make her own supply order call at the lab as she worked like the slave that she was. This was her punishment for missing curfew. Lachlan didn't bother to tell her that this was her punishment, but Lauren knew he wanted to cut her off from Bo and she was rattled. Lauren looked around her hollow home and decided against food, against wine, and against television. She just wanted to get to bed and forget about her predicament.

Climbing the stairs, the heaviness settled upon her. That she had agreed to all of this. She sold her soul to the Fae for someone who felt like a stranger to her now. But Bo, she had told herself, was her reward for putting up with the rest of the Fae. Bo was special, not because Lauren loved her, but because she identified as Human, at least on some level despite the fact that her Fae made her so powerful.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, she stifled a yawn. It had been two days and Lauren missed her. She kicked off her shoes and rubbed her throbbing feet. Fourteen hours on her feet; she hadn't done that since her residency. She put pajamas on and stretched her back. Time was catching up with her and she was toiling away as a slave when life was out there somewhere. Her life seemed so one-dimensional. If it weren't for Bo, Lauren would be a scientist without a cause. Research had been her saving grace. It had kept her hands busy and her mind calm. Research was the great equalizer for Lauren. It was easy to let the difficult things slip her mind when she was working on endless hypotheses.

But now, out of the lab, Lauren's mind was noisy again and she could only think of Bo to quiet the chaos inside. She climbed into bed and began to wonder what tomorrow would hold for her. _Would Lachlan began to lock them in their quarters during downtime as he had threatened so many times before? Would he collar the Humans just to prove a point? Would Bo come looking for her? Was she worried?_ Her mind swirled from one topic to the next and she was in little control over which direction the next subject was coming from. She stared at her clock, its red digits blinking in the dark-it was half-past midnight. She sighed. Lauren wanted out. She wanted to run away and escape her commitment to the Fae. She had made a horrible mistake and if she could just get up the nerve to tell her, she knew that Bo would help her.

Her eyes closed, the ghostly halo of the clock's numbers faded behind her eyelids. She remembered the rumble of the Camaro's engine as Bo eased it into park and switched it off, the silence between them was overwhelming. The city lights twinkled below, and her eyes were as wide as saucers as she looked between the glimmering of the city to the glow of Bo's eyes. The way her mouth curled upwards as she leaned over the console and kissed her had turned her to jelly, even as she sat beside her. When she whispered Lauren's name against her lips, pressed her forehead against hers, Lauren was undone. Her breath was hot against Lauren's cheek as her hand popped the button on her pants and deftly slipped into her underwear.

It was a shock, and Lauren was surprised not only by Bo's urgency but her need. Her eyes shimmered as they canvassed Lauren's body. She watched her with such interest that Lauren trembled at the touch that ghosted across her skin. Bo didn't waste time with teasing, instead she pushed into her and Lauren's white-hot desire exploded through her body. Her heart beat ferociously in her chest and fire pulsed through her veins. She was alive again. Bo's breath blew across the whorls of her ear-there were no words, just her energy-infectious and overpowering-and Lauren was crumbling to her whims. Her hand was a blur and Lauren couldn't keep her eyes open. The pressure in her body was building and her need was evident. Just as Lauren hovered on the precipice of self-realization, Bo's mouth covered with hers with a heavy force and she lurched toward release.

Lauren's hips lifted off the bed and she cried out, her voice echoing off the sparsely decorated walls. She was alone, again. Still. She withdrew her hand and stared up at the sky through her bedroom's skylight as her breathing slowed. She kept going back to the Camaro, Bo inside of her, Lauren's fingers gripping the leather upholstery as she came. She didn't know when they'd be together again so she held on to Lookout Point.

Bo would help her-if there was one thing Lauren could trust, it was that.

* * *

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Author's note: We are firmly ensconced in season two plot now. This part takes place between 2x05 and 2x06. Please remember, I am trying to "fill in the blanks' not change the story arc. My goal is to stay true to the story the LG writers created and expand on it. I hope I will have done it justice by the time I've exhausted this idea. I encourage re-watches with the new parts. The way they join up is kinda neat!

* * *

5\. On The Run

* * *

"FEAR stands for fuck everything and run." | Stephen King

* * *

She was in the lab toiling away on a project Lachlan insisted was more important that any of the other work Lauren had on her plate. She was resentful. She has experiments that were time sensitive and soon she'd have to do them all again. She was also irritated because it had been a week since Lachlan took away her phone privileges. She had no way to reach Bo. Granted she had nothing pressing to say to Bo except that she missed her, but she could never say that to Bo. Not without giving too much up.

Her colleagues began to congregate by the workbench in the center of the room, a hushed din filling the lab and Lauren moved to join them.

"How much longer are they going to guard us?"

"I heard they are going to lock us in tonight," a colleague said.

"Who told you that?" Lauren interrupted.

"The guards were talking about it."

"He can't do this," another interjected.

"It's worse than that. Unless we are working, we are going to be locked in our quarters. No one comes or goes anymore."

A wave of panic flooded her system-her skin was cold, the numb rush that pulsed through the fire in her veins. "We have to get out of here."

"When? How? The guards are on us twenty-four-seven."

"So we take them down."

"No way. That guy has two-hundred pounds on us. We wouldn't stand a chance."

"Not on our own," Lauren said. "But together, with the aid of some pharmaceuticals, we are getting out of here." Lauren returned to her work area and reached into the refrigerator for a vial she may or may not have been planning to use for some time. She drew out three syringes with and passed them to the other scientists. As she pulled the plunger on the fourth, she heard the tell-tale jingle of keys, so she pocketed the syringe and tossed the empty vial in the garbage. The door opened and the scientists scattered.

"Get back to work," the guard bellowed.

Lauren leaned into her microscope, eyes darting between her startled compatriots. It would be three long hours before they would surround the lone guard and shoot him with enough barbiturates to take down an elephant. There was no time to retrieve things from their quarters, Lauren led the other Humans to the side door. "The alarm will sound when we go through this door. _Run._ " Their collective anxiety hung heavily in the hallway. The longer they waited, the closer the other guard would be on his rounds. "Ready?" Her eyes went from face to face and waited for reluctant nods before she drew in a deep breath and burst through the fire door.

Sirens blared from a nearby speaker and the Humans scattered. Lauren put her head down and dug in, running a blazing pace into the woods. She ran full-tilt over bramble patches that nipped at her ankles with their thorns, leaping over fallen trees, branches whipping against her arms as she ran through. When the whirr of traffic could be heard, she slowed and as she made her way to the roadway, on her second to last step, her toe got caught up with a jumble of roots and she tripped headlong into a mass of leaves.

She grunted and rolled onto her back. Shaking her head, Lauren stood, brushing herself off. She climbed out of the brush and emerged on the sidewalk beside a busy road. It was a risk to be on a main roadway, but she was hoping the fact that they had scattered when they ran would work in all of their favors. She kept walking briskly in Bo's direction, looking over her shoulder for cabs-if she could just flag one down, she could get to the clubhouse and she would be safe.

Lauren didn't have to walk far before a kind cabbie pulled up alongside her. Gratefully, she accepted the assistance and Lauren slid into the back seat, checking behind her all the while. She sunk into the seat and slipped out of sight from behind. The driver was not naïve and noticed Lauren's tactic straight away.

"Where to?" He put on his blinker to reenter traffic as Lauren spouted Bo's address from memory. She waited until they were halfway there to knock on the partition.

"I can't pay you."

"What?" He frowned.

"I can't pay you," she hollered.

He stared at her in the rearview mirror. "I know."

"What?" Lauren's attempt at cluelessness just made her seem more guilty.

"They're looking for you," the driver said, humorlessly. "They searched my cab," he said, still irritated. "Tossed my fare. Because they were looking for you."

"I'm sorry." Lauren fell back against the seat. "You're going to tell them where you took me, aren't you?"

The silence was actually painful. He cleared his throat. "I don't know what they want with you, lady, but I know enough to know it ain't good. And as to whether I'm going to give you up, I'd never leave someone in such a dire way."

He flicked the blinker and turned down Bo's street. Freedom, or the feeling of it, was hers. As the cab rocked into the driveway, Lauren exhaled. "Thank you." She squeezed his shoulder as she left the car.

"Good luck," he called as she climbed the steps of the clubhouse and pushed inside. She stood in the mud room, her heart beating faster than she could ever remember it beating before. She knocked on the door and called out for Bo, no answer. She needed to call her, to tell her what the past week had brought for her, and what she had done to return to her. Opening the door to Bo's lair, Lauren's racing heart led the pace to the phone. She picked it up and dialed desperately.

"Bo, I'm at the clubhouse. Lachlan was going to lock us in so we escaped. Not together, We did escape together but… I mean, I'm alone. It's not like I'm sitting in your living room with four of my Human colleagues. I'm alone and I'm really spooked." Lauren took a breath. Bo had told her to stay put, so she did just that. She returned the phone to its base and backed away from it. Lauren sat on the couch, surrounded by her scents, and waited.

* * *

Bo had rushed back to the clubhouse to check on her. They reassured each other and Bo had called her space a "safe haven" for Lauren-that probably left the biggest impact on Lauren. She did feel safe with Bo, no matter what the circumstance, and Bo had made a point to offer her space to her. It was the trust that was oddly implicit at this stage in their situation. To call it a relationship seemed far too presumptuous, even if what Lauren felt could only be called love. She cringed internally when she told Bo that she didn't want to complicate things. Always putting other's needs ahead of hers, even now, Lauren offered her an out. But she didn't take it and theirs was the bitterest of stalemates.

Even as she brushed past Bo intentionally close, Lauren was surprised to not incur the interest of the Succubus. However, a few short hours later, Bo came clumsily calling as she padded down the stairs, tiptoeing to the refrigerator. She stared into the icebox, bathed in its glow and waves of cool air. She reached inside, grabbing a soda and cracking the top. Spinning around she leaned her back into the refrigerator. The motor kicked in noisily and Bo was reticent to close the door, but she pried herself away from the old appliance.

Bo reached into the freezer, her hand landing on her goal-the ice cube tray. She peered into the tray. Empty. _Dammit_. Shoving the empty tray back into the freezer, she turned to find Lauren staring at her over the back of the couch, darkness obscuring her face.

"Hey," Bo said, sheepishly. "Did I wake you?"

She shook her head. "Hot?"

"It's like New Dehli up there." She treaded carefully to the sofa and sat at the opposite end as Lauren. Bo smiled at her. "How're you?"

"A little out of sorts."

"I can imagine."

"I incapacitated one of the Ash's most-trusted security men. I know how this ends, Bo."

Bo sat up. "Don't say that."

Lauren grew still. "My time is up."

Bo inched her way down the couch until she was beside Lauren. "Lachlan isn't going to hurt you. He needs you too much even if he can't admit it because he's a self-righteous asshat."

Lauren laughedandBo moved her hair away from her face. She looked up. "You weren't hot upstairs, were you?"

"Maybe, I was." Her mouth quirked. "I thought you could use a friend."

"You don't need to worry about me."

"I know, I just hate to see you so hell bent on going it alone."

"When you've accepted your life as one way, it's hard to change."

"It starts with a decision you make," her voice low, haunting. "To let me in." Her lips brushed against Lauren's and she felt short of breath. Bo retreated an inch, hovering so close that Lauren could taste her lip gloss.

The fizz of electronics filled the room and the television roared to life. Bo pulled away and looked behind her to find Kenzi in her footed pajamas, holding the remote.

"I Love Lucy marathon." She plopped down on the end of the sofa and pulled on Lauren's blanket. "You guys just going canoodle all night or are you gonna watch this shiz with me?"

Bo dropped back into the couch beside Lauren and smiled. "I _love_ Lucy."

"Me too." Lauren smiled into the hem of her shirt and hugged her knees to her chest. This was a complete and utter mess, but Lauren felt comfortable, like the warm glow of fifties television in the middle of the night. She was safe.

* * *

TBC


	6. Chapter 6

Author's notes: This part takes place during 2x06.

6\. Consequences

* * *

"If you build the guts to do something, anything, then you better save enough to face the consequences." | Criss Jami

* * *

She was pressed up against Kenzi watching a young adult's wildlife show with Bo, more than two arms-length away. Since she had come to stay with them, Lauren had been shut down by Kenzi so consistently that she was beginning to wonder if she had some sort of controlling stake in Lauren's unhappiness.

A knock at the door jolted Lauren upright. As soon as Bo was up, Kenzi was on the prowl again and Lauren just stayed put. She could hear Bo's voice but couldn't make out who she was talking to or what they were talking about, but Lauren tried anyway.

The door shut and Bo returned to the kitchen. "I'll, ah, be back soon." Bo swiped her keys off the table and turned on a heel to meet Lauren's gaze.

It had been three days since Lauren claimed the clubhouse's couch. The first night Bo nearly joined her on it but the following two days had been all quiet on the western front, which was, well, excruciating. The electricity that crackled between them kept Lauren on edge. It was so easy to get swept up in Bo and she supposed that was a Succubus' charm at work but whatever the case, Lauren was utterly captivated.

When Bo passed through the door and out of sight Lauren stood and began to clear the table. She could feel Kenzi watching her but she stayed the course, filling the sink with soapy water as she scraped the plates. She slipped into a pair of rubber gloves with practiced ease and began to wash their plates.

Kenzi tapped her on the shoulder. "Ahem. Excuse me, but just what in the holy hizzle are you doing right now?"

"Dishes," Lauren replied curtly.

"Why?" She put her hands on her hips.

"Because that's what guests do."

Kenzi made a noise of disgust. "Have you ever just not done what you were supposed to do?"

Lauren paused washing to turn her question over a few times. "I escaped."

"And honey, nobody could be prouder than moi, but this was your 'A' plan?" Lauren returned to scrubbing the plate in her gloved hand and sighed. Direct hit. "Besides, Bo's kinda busy saving everyone else." And, just like that, Kenzi had sunk her battleship.

Lauren dropped the plate in the drying rack and turned to Kenzi. "Bo said she would help me."

"Sure, in the beginning. Now, I mean, you're on the lam from the Ash, staying in her territory- _her home_ -and you're not even dating."

Lauren smiled and nodded. There was no rebuffing Kenzi. She would keep coming and coming and coming like a little dog who thinks they are a two-hundred pound mastiff so in the interest of keeping the peace, Lauren subjugated herself and said nothing else. Kenzi tried to bait her but Lauren continued to wipe down the table and straighten the kitchen until Kenzi retreated to her room. She refolded the quilt on the sofa and sank into the cushions with a sigh. She was going a little stir crazy. And the fact that she was surrounded by someone else's things also kept Lauren ill at ease. Sure, they were Bo's things, but Lauren was no pugilist and no matter how many sharp implements she was surrounded by, Lauren didn't really feel safe when Bo was away.

She woke to the bang of the front door and sat up, alarmed. Bo breezed in, eyes immediately on Lauren. "Hey," Bo said, out of breath.

"Is everything all right?"

She smiled. "Yeah, I've got a case. I came back for Kenzi. Is she here?"

Lauren nodded. "Upstairs."

Bo examined her carefully. "I'd invite you, too, but you're hiding from the Ash and all…"

She shook her head. "No, you're right. I can't afford to be seen."

Sitting beside Lauren, Bo lowered her voice. "Is everything okay?"

"Of course," Lauren whispered.

Bo leaned in. "I have never been less convinced of anything."

That was the moment that broke Lauren Lewis. Teetering on the precipice of something deep, something murky, something undeniably theirs, Bo pressed her lips against Lauren's. It was a sweet kiss, tender and reserved, but an infinite heat burned just beneath the surface.

And never missing an entrance, Kenzi clomped down the stairs. "I _thought_ I heard you come in," she said as she jumped off the last step and onto the main floor.

Lauren shrank away and looked at her lap awkwardly. Bo sighed and clapped her hands on her thighs before standing in front of Lauren. "I'll see you later." She nodded reassuringly before turning to Kenzi. "I was just coming to get you."

Kenzi looked up from her nails. "Yeah, looked like it."

Bo wrapped an arm around Kenzi's small shoulders and hugged her into her side. "How do you feel about graffiti?"

* * *

Lauren was alone in their space for hours. She read, straightened Bo's bookshelf, examining the titles she had collected, and channel surfed for longer than any show she tried to watch. When Kenzi returned alone, Lauren had to admit she was disappointed. That, and she was going stir crazy and the only time she didn't feel like she was going to crawl right out of her skin was when Bo was around. She worked on setting up protocols for a new experiment on her spare laptop. It was woefully out of date but when she had loaned it to Bo, she didn't need it for much more than a word processor and a web browser.

She wasn't ready for Kenzi to sit beside her and threaten to bash her head in, though. _How could she ever be ready for something like that?_ But she was bolder with Kenzi this time and if there hadn't been a knock at the door, they might've come to blows. Instead, Lauren hid in the stairwell while Kenzi got choked for lying for her. She felt terrible to have brought that down on another person.

And when she saw the judgment on Kenzi's face when she asked her if she was really going back to Lachlan, Lauren knew no one could even try to understand until she started explaining why she was making the choices she was. But she couldn't say it out loud and see the look of hurt on Bo's face. And after Kenzi's death threats, Lauren wasn't sure she'd want to be left alone with her after she found out, either.

Kenzi rubbed her neck. "Wine?" She marched into the kitchen and made a noisy show of opening a bottle of red wine.

"Kenzi, I'm sorry. Lachlan had no right-"

"Since when do the Fae play by the rules?"

Lauren smirked. "I guess you're right."

"So what's your excuse?"

"I'm Human."

Kenzi chortled and shook her head. "And she's out on a technicality, folks."

"I know you think I'm some sort of threat to you, Kenzi, but I'm not."

"I know how people like you operate."

"And what kind of people am I?"

"The kind that hides something for no other reason than they don't want to share it, meanwhile Bo falls for you and finds out the now-terrible secret and you _crush her heart._ And I'm not having it. That's not happening on my watch. Not after Dyson. Nope."

By the time Kenzi had finished her rant, she was pouring another glass for herself and Lauren watched as she chugged that one, too. On her third pour, Lauren took the bottle from her. "Kenzi, the last thing I want to do is hurt Bo."

Kenzi leveled her gaze over the top of the garnet-colored wine. "Then don't." She snatched the wine bottle from the table and stalked toward the sofa.

And for the first time in a week, Kenzi would not interfere with what would happen next.

* * *

She planned on telling Bo when she came back and then she chickened out. Bo was so vulnerable and Kenzi was going to kill her when she found out. The lure of sex was too much for her and Lauren succumbed to her need. It was fast, for fear of Kenzi waking up and knocking on the doorframe to ask if anyone wanted a sandwich. And it was quite serious, each of them focused on remembering what it was like to be with the other. The worry and the pain of another separation were palpable even as they tore their clothes off. She was hesitant to call it making love and found it more aptly-named taking love. It was offered so freely and there were no limits, no conditions, nothing separating them except the world, and it was pulling them apart.

They could not be satisfied, even as they reached oblivion again and again. Bo did not tire, bringing her to life over and over and only when Lauren grew weary, did she wrap herself in Bo's arms and drift off to sleep.

When Bo awoke they were still locked together. She let the feeling swell in her breast before leaning over Lauren. She looked down at her, brushed her hair away from her face and kissed her cheek. As she pulled away, Bo was overcome with emotion. "I love you," Bo whispered as she kissed her again and pulled away. She was halfway to the shower when she heard her stir.

"Bo?" Lauren's sleepy voice filled the void in the room.

She returned to Lauren's side. "Hey, good morning." She slipped between the sheets, Lauren's warmth spreading through them.

"What time is it?"

"Early." Bo kissed her.

Lauren could see the sun shining through the slats on the windows so naturally, she wondered aloud: "How early?"

"Kenzi isn't up yet," she said suggestively.

Lauren chuckled as Bo kissed her shoulder, mouth traveling to Lauren's neck. "Sweet Succubus of mine," she purred, hands in her hair.

Bo hummed and ducked her head beneath the sheet, disappearing down Lauren's body.

Things unraveled quickly and soon Bo had picked up where she left off, but instead of the fast and relentless treatment that she gave Lauren the night before, she touched her painstakingly slow with such tenderness that Lauren felt a little emotional. There was a connection between them that had always been there but something had changed and the breadth of this new emotion began to feel overwhelming.

Her hands were in Bo's hair, her fingers playing with the strands as Bo relentlessly teased her. Bo delighted in the smile on Lauren's face just before her expression changed to one of surprise at her command. The slow, insistent rocking of Lauren's hips became the driving force and her heels digging into Bo's back were a reminder as if she could forget. Bo never ignored her needs, giving her the gratification that she wanted so desperately with an expertise unlike any she had ever had the good fortune to meet. When her voice grew hoarse and her body tensed, Bo held her until the quaking subsided before returning to her side.

Lauren's eyes were still squeezed shut in concentration even as she reached for Bo. Bo's hands caressed the skin on her navel, her mouth whispered its intention like an echo reverberating between them. A secret, a promise, and a morsel of bliss she hadn't tasted yet-Bo overwhelmed her again. Swiftly, she was between Lauren's legs again, this time pressing herself against Lauren and it was amazing, it was fabled and forbidden and as Bo took the utmost care at a painstaking pace she honestly couldn't remember being happier…in any circumstance. But there was little that even compared to what Bo was doing between her legs. Her hips ground against Lauren's, the soft slide of her excitement between their bodies. It was a deliberate madness-the way she felt hard against her as her hips kept steady pressure as they moved.

Everything about the way Bo moved was different than the night before. She took her time, drawing each circle with her hips careful and slow until Lauren began to tremble. She clung to Bo, her face buried deep in Bo's neck as she pressed Lauren further into the mattress. "Bo," her voice was breathless, desperate and pained, sparking something in her. Long, full strokes against her-she was so close-but Bo kept her pace deliberately languid. And when Lauren arched off the bed, clinging to Bo, she trembled with her own release.

Falling back onto the bed together, Bo exhaled, a smile spreading across her features. "Good morning," Lauren breathed.

"The best," Bo laughed.

Just then Bo's cell phone bleated on the night table. They exchanged a knowing look as Bo untangled herself and reached for her phone.

"A lead?" Lauren asked.

"Yeah…" Bo was reluctant. "It can wait." She rolled onto her back and sighed. There was never enough time. She reached for Lauren and her phone beeped again. "Shit."

"Downtime is over." Lauren smiled.

She hazarded a glance at the phone's screen. "Will I see you tonight?"

"Maybe," Lauren said, a sadness palpable in her voice.

Bo nodded. "That's better than no." She kissed Lauren on the cheek and rolled away. "Tonight," she said as she disappeared into the bathroom.

* * *

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Author's notes: This takes place between the end of 2x06 to the end of 2x08. I also owe a great debt to lonejaguar for prodding me in the right direction on a few occasions.

* * *

7\. Truth

* * *

"The truth is rarely pure and never simple." | Oscar Wilde

* * *

" _Lauren?"_

" _She's gone."_

So much for their plans. Lauren was gone and there wasn't anything left to be done with the day so Bo skulked to bed. Kenzi nipped at her heels, concerned. Something was different. Kenzi encouraged Bo to be patient with Lauren and to believe there was an explanation when Bo was ready to jump to conclusions. It was unexpected and, she had to admit, refreshing. Kenzi retreated for a time, leaving her to her thoughts.

Bo flopped onto her back on her bed. A day that had started with such promise, she mused, had now turned to shit. First Dyson and Ciara, now Lauren had a girlfriend. Everything was coming up roses for Bo… roses sprouting from a steaming pile of horse crap. The urge to flail was great but she resisted as she heard Kenzi on the stairs. Bo buried her face in her pillow.

"Honey BoBo…" She tsk'd, setting a pair of teacups on the nightstand, sitting down beside Bo, and rubbing her back. "Oh, sweetness, we'll get through this."

"It's bad luck, right? I just have really bad luck picking the people I let myself get attached to."

"Are you sure you didn't set yourvajajay to stump instead of stun?"

Bo laughed in spite of herself and pushed Kenzi away playfully. "You're bringing the jokes, right now?"

"So Lauren has a girlfriend. _She_ should be the one wondering how long she'll have to wait for you to be done with Lauren."

"Kenzi…"

"Oh, come on. We both know I'm the only Human you can find it in your heart to love."

"Love? Why would you go right for that?"

"Oh, I dunno. I was kinda tipped off by how you went prone the minute you got home after finding out about the girlfriend."

"Wouldn't you?" Bo mumbled into her pillow.

I never dated a girl with a girlfriend."

Bo lifted her head. "But you've dated a girl?"

"When I was ten I wanted to marry my best friend."

"That's totally not the same thing."

"So you didn't do everything but single-handedly load the U-Haul for Lauren when she escaped?"

"That's different. I wanted her to be safe."

"Be real. You could have set her up in a motel room. Probably would have been harder for Lachlan to find her, too."

"But then I wouldn't be there if…" she trailed off.

"Ah!" Kenzi pointed at her.

"… she needed me," Bo finished, realizing her slip. She turned her back to Kenzi, glaring over her shoulder. "Go away, Kenzi."

"Suit yourself." Kenzi hopped off the bed and strutted towards the stairs. "Get some sleep. It'll hurt less in the morning."

* * *

It didn't. If anything, it stung more in the light of day because Bo had to pretend everything was a-ok when it was most definitely not. She worked her next case without Lauren. That is, until Lauren called her and tried to help which only served to piss Bo off. It was like she didn't appreciate the implicit meaning of her help. But what burned the most was her almost amnesia-like avoidance of telling Bo that she had a girlfriend at all. And after giving her chance after chance to come clean, Bo was running out of patience.

Bo held the box in the palm of her hand. She had been staring at the damn thing since Evony gave it to her. All she wanted to do was to talk to Lauren, to open the box and to free Nadia. Whatever horrible aftermath would befall them after that, was all that she had to look forward to at this point. Worst case scenario, Lauren would leave town with Nadia and they'd never see each other again. Yeah, that was pretty much the worst thing she could think of.

"Shit." Bo sighed.

She had become decidedly pessimistic about how it all would pan out. Sitting in the Camaro outside of the Dal, she saw Lauren go in a few minutes before. Bo couldn't sit still any longer, she climbed from the car and walked into the building with purpose.

* * *

After ten minutes, Bo felt like an asshole. _Of course_ , she had a coma girlfriend. When was _that_ going to come up in conversation? And _of course_ Lauren was so devoted that she gave up her very freedom because she felt responsible for Nadia's condition. Not because she loved her, Bo pointed out to herself-because she felt responsible. _Duty_. And now with every thing on the table, a narrow piece of metal took center stage between them.

"What do you think it is?"

Lauren blinked. "It looks like a nail, or a pin or something. Part of a clasp."

Bo dropped it. "Oh shit, what if it's got the plague on it?"

"You're fine. I always have the antidote on hand in the lab."

"And yet, all I can think of doing is washing my hands for an hour."

"Could this be a set up?" Lauren eyed Bo. "You did get this from the Morrigan."

Bo looked up from the table and shrugged. "Let's just pretend she's a reputable source and figure this out."

"All right, Doctor. Time's up." The guard walked toward the women.

"We have got to figure out how to spend more time together," Bo griped.

Lauren covered the nail and pushed it into Bo's hand. "Keep that safe," she whispered.

Bo nodded quickly as the guard pulled Lauren away from her. She couldn't take her eyes off her as the guard led Lauren out of the Dal. In moments like this, their connection complicated everything. The longing in Lauren's eyes left Bo with a lump in her throat. And Bo's rage grew with every guard that man-handled Lauren but she couldn't interfere. Lachlan was a loose cannon and Bo couldn't put Lauren in any more danger than she already had. With one last glance, Lauren disappeared through the doorway and the world went dark.

* * *

The lure of Lauren was her foil and it had been a week since she'd seen her. When Bo heard her hushed voice stealing time on the lab phone, she would have agreed to just about anything if it meant she could see her again. And "anything" in this case was a body bag. The stale and sour smelling bag was a vault of odors to the deceased and diseased. Bo gave herself the chills. _Gross._

The zipper opened in front of her face and Lauren's relieved expression was the first thing that she saw out of the dark. She tried to avoid the unavoidable by making excuses not to meet Nadia, but Lauren prevailed and Bo stared down at the gorgeous girlfriend. This was terrible.

Over the next few days, Bo was haunted by Nadia and who she was and what she meant to Lauren. Scenario after scenario played out in her brain and Bo was miserable. When the opportunity came to "borrow" Lauren from the Ash, Bo eagerly arranged it.

Driving across town, with Lauren in the seat beside her made Bo feel invincible. Together they would take on the Lich, from his inane speeches to the open sores on his face, Bo was glad to have back-up for this mission, especially if the Lich was as all-knowing as people say-she would counter with her own know-it-all Human. She watched Lauren carefully as she basked in the sun that shone through the Camaro's windows and Bo found herself angry that the Fae could keep her locked away, even from the sun.

"It's a nice day." She smiled at Lauren.

"It's beautiful."

"Has it always been like this, Lauren?" Bo asked, meaning her untenable situation with the Ash.

Lauren considered her question and then smiled. "No, it's never been like this."

"I've never had to chase someone as much as I chase you. It's like once I get permission to make the date and get past all of your guards and chaperones, there's the Ash sitting on the front porch with this _huge_ shotgun."

Lauren laughed and settled into quiet contemplation. "The old Ash treated me as an advisor, let me have my autonomy and self-respect…"

"And Lachlan…"

"Doesn't."

Bo drove the Camaro into the lot and parked near the entrance. She clicked the key off and turned to Lauren. "He can't take those things from you, Lauren."

"He can take anything he wants."

"No." Bo shook her head. "I won't let him."

"Bo…" She smiled, and in the sunlight she looked ethereal.

"Who knows? Maybe the Lich has the answers we need to break your contract with the Ash…"

"Maybe." Lauren nodded, suddenly sad.

"It's not always gonna be like this. I promise."

A huge thunder clap erupted, followed by a rumble. "We should get inside…"

* * *

The thunder and lightning had foreshadowed their evening with the Lich. From the boredom of his salons and speeches to the peril of their lives on the line for his amusement, Bo was filled with white hot power, pulsing through her veins like a super charged lava flow. The Lich would not harm Lauren, he would not harm anyone ever again.

"What good is having all those secrets if you keep them to yourself, anyway?" She asked Lauren as they walked away from his body, Christoph following close behind.

On a night when there was so much to say, so much to tease apart and even research, Bo turned down the medical tests and as much as she wanted to take Lauren home with her, she met Dyson a few miles from the compound and he returned her to her quarters as directed by the Ash. Bo hated playing by the rules (even if she was still breaking them,) especially when they were Lachlan's rules but until she could work this very sizeable problem out, she had to play nice.

A few days passed and she was back in the body bag, being wheeled through the compound to Lauren. She tried not to breathe in the acrid odors of the bag but soon found herself lightheaded. Succumbing to her need to breathe, Bo scrunched her nose and inhaled deeply. _Disgusting._

She could hear a door open, it's telltale squeak signaling Lauren's lab. She heard Lauren making small talk with the tech that had wheeled her in and finally the zipper was coming down and the cool, air conditioned air of her lab washed over her.

There were still so many questions and Lauren hadn't made peace with the biggest one of them all: _Who had cursed Nadia?_ But Bo remained positive, more certain than ever that this was a case she could solve.

" _We're one step closer to getting Nadia back to you. That's good, right?"_

She kissed Bo hard, her mouth hungry and eager in the bright blue light of Nadia's stasis chamber. _Nadia. Shit._ Lauren threatened to overwhelm them both right there in front of Nadia and Bo was happy to be along for the ride. But it wasn't in a vengeful I'm-going-to-steal-your-girlfriend-and-there's-nothing-you-can-do-about-it way. That wasn't that at all. She wanted Lauren to be happy and like it or not, Nadia had dibs.

She met the force of Lauren's kisses with her own, holding her head in her hands until Lauren seem to awaken from her own desire. Lauren took a step back.

Bo laughed. "What was that?"

"C'mon. Not in here."

"You just kissed me, surely we can _talk._ "

"Bo, please." Her reply was a desperate squeak.

Lauren opened the side door and scanned the hall. She grabbed Bo's hand and pulled her down the hall and into what she could only assume was a janitorial closet. Inside, Bo looked around. It wasn't roomy, but Lauren had made the most out of the space. A small desk, a folding chair, shelving and papers, papers everywhere. She reached around Bo and shut the door behind her.

"Do they know about this office?"

"Sometimes I need a little privacy."

"So, no."

"No." Lauren wrung her hands. "Look, Bo…"

"Lauren," she sighed. "This must be really confusing. I get it."

Lauren shook her head. "I'm not confused." She took a step toward Bo. "I want you."

Bo's smile broke like the sunshine after a ferocious rainstorm and she stepped into Lauren's space. Just as their lips were about to touch, Lauren whispered: "Bo, I can't."

Bo straightened and took a step back. "You just said…"

"And I wasn't lying."

"But…?"

"I have to save her."

"You know that I'll help you."

"And after?"

Bo's face fell. "Lauren."

"I owe her that much."

"Lauren, you've already given up five years of your life to the Fae."

Lauren exhaled a painful sort of sigh. "And so has she."

* * *

TBC


	8. Chapter 8

Author's notes: This part takes place during 2x09, 2x10, and 2x11.

* * *

8\. Choices

* * *

"Your perspective on life comes from the cage you were held captive in." | Shannon L. Alder

* * *

What started as an experiment in reinvention, ended with several body swaps, tainted beer, and Lauren at the center of it all. She sat at the bar, exhausted but Bo kept her distance. Lauren had been sending her mixed signals for as long as she could remember but today when Bo had asked her about the kiss they shared in front of Nadia, Lauren blew her off in grand fashion. Now the ordeal was over, or at the very least, the day was, Bo wanted to ask her how she could come on so strong all the while pushing her so far away but there was never time. Hale was helping her to her feet and guiding her toward the door and Bo saw her chance for an honest conversation evaporating before her eyes. When would be the next time Lachlan would let her leave the compound again? She sighed as Lauren looked back at her, lingering before she passed through the doorway.

And even as she sat in Trick's lair trying to explain the dire content of her vision to him, Lauren was on her mind. So afterwards, when she climbed the stairs to the Dal and found Lauren there she tried hard to hide her surprise.

"Lauren, hey…" She walked toward her. "Forget something?"

Hale emerged from the keg room. "All right, Doc. I've got your bag…"

Bo took the bag from Hale. "I'll take her home, Hale."

He hesitated. "Uh, I don't think that's such a good idea, Bo. The Ash-"

"He'll get over it." Bo caught Lauren's well-concealed smirk and was bolstered by it. "Night Hale." She took Lauren's hand and led her out the side door to her car. Inside the Camaro, they sat in silence, and Bo was reluctant to start the engine. Lauren closed her eyes in the darkness of the car and Bo's eyes greedily stole a glance. "Bet you never thought you'd ever body swap with a murderer."

Lauren chuckled. "No, I can't say that ever crossed my mind." Lauren looked at Bo, forlorn. "But I can't get you off my mind. "

"Lauren, what happened the other day…"

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have…"

"No, it was fine. It was better than fine, Lauren." Bo sighed. "It was just in front of Nadia and it felt-"

"Weird?"

"Wrong."

She nodded and sucked in a breath. "Well, I deserved that, I guess."

"I think you need to take some time…" Bo exhaled. Silence blanketed them and Lauren's expression grew pensive. "It's not that I'm not interested," she breathed. Lauren's eyes pierced through the darkness and their connection had never felt so raw before. She turned the key in the ignition, still locked in Lauren's gaze, shivering as she turned away from her, her intensity as it ratcheted up to another level. She put the car in gear and eased into traffic. Tonight their silence would be anything but easy.

* * *

The next time they saw each other would be in the dim light of Dyson's garage-like abode. It started with fireworks, yelling and then steely defeat. Bo's conscience was heavy, Lauren could tell by the way her shoulders sagged and her head lulled as she sat across from the battered Succubus, swabbing her wounds. Bo was a mess. She'd let herself be beaten and the other Fae had done her job well. Bo's lip was split in a few places, her eye was swelling and so was her jaw-Lauren couldn't remember a time she'd seen her in such rough shape.

"I need to examine you."

"I'm fine."

"C'mon, up you get." Lauren extended a hand and pulled Bo to her feet. "Any shortness of breath?"

Bo tried to remove her tank top but winced in pain when her body refused. "No."

"Let me." Their eyes met and Lauren stepped into her space, the energy between them crackled as she reached out for Bo, pushing her tank top up her sides and easing it over her head. Lauren peeled away Bo's pants until she stood in front of her in just her underwear. Inspecting her bruises, she nodded. "Do you have a headache?"

"Yeah, it kind of took offense to the beating I took."

She reached into her bag and passed Bo a pair of pills and a bottle of water from the nightstand. "Take these." She stood back and watched her. "I would feel a lot better if you healed just to be sure."

"Maybe later," Bo grumped. Lauren's eyes lingered on her bared skin. "Are you gonna help me get dressed again?"

"Oh," Lauren said, embarrassed. "I, um-"

"Lauren, it's okay." She reached for her tank top. "I'm just cold." Helping her slip the tank top over her head, Lauren took a step back to let Bo pull it over her stomach. She sat down on the bed and pulled the lycra pants over her hips before laying back on Dyson's cot and pulling her sweatshirt over her. "What am I gonna do, Lauren?" She groaned.

Lauren's expression changed to one of sympathy as she set her cloth aside and sat beside Bo on the cot. "You're going to heal, and then you're going to sleep on it. Things have a way of being larger than life in the middle of the night. Sometimes, they are clearer in the light of day."

Bo sat up gingerly, immediately encroaching on Lauren's space. "I'm not scared anymore."

Her words hung in the air, clinging to her lips as she leaned into Lauren. Her kiss was an electric shock reverberating through them both and Lauren was overwhelmed again. She had pretty much professed her love for Bo earlier and now the Succubus had the power to make her forget about everything, including Nadia, the Ash, or a lifetime of servitude. Bo kissed her so gently that her stomach did a swan dive.

"Bo, I-"

The door swung open noisily and Dyson breezed in. "How'd you make out?" He looked up from the file he was holding as Lauren pulled away from Bo and shyly covered her mouth.

Bo smiled. "Pretty good, I think."

Lauren stood and began to pack up her medical bag, all the while keeping one eye on Bo, whose eyes blazed across the space between them. Dyson eyed them both awkwardly. "We better get you back." Dyson looked at Lauren, nodding to Bo, who looked down at her bloodied knuckles.

"Get some rest, Bo. And please consider feeding." Lauren lifted her bag off the bed and walked toward the door. She stole one last glance back at Bo before slipping out the door and it would have to sustain her in the days to come.

* * *

She was being dragged down the hallways of the compound kicking and screaming. It was not the most dignified way to be brought into the catacombs but the catacombs were a place Lauren never wanted to see again. They used it as a training technique in the beginning, whenever she was resistant to an idea or project the Fae were pushing.

The first time, the Ash had smiled at her suggestion as he waved to his men and they led her away. Panic had set in when she could hear the misery and smell the hell the prisoners had brought onto themselves by disobeying the Ash. And now, so had she.

The cell's only light source was the grated window high above her head. It cast sunlight and moonlight alike and for the four days they held her without food, and rationed water, it was her time piece. On the second day, at what she could only estimate was the twelve-hour mark, Lauren fell apart. A sob broke from her throat and she gasped her surprise as the tears started to flow. Everyone had their breaking point and the Ash had shown Lauren hers. She fretted about Nadia and who would look after her-would anyone be allowed to look after her? And what if they never let her out?

But they did let her out two days later. She resumed her work and no longer spoke up about every little issue she was having. She reported to the lab early and stayed late. And she worked on Nadia's illness with every scrap of extra time saved. They were going to escape someday.

This time was different. Lachlan was unhinged and Lauren could not reason with or motivate him to help her. He didn't know of all the things she had done for the former Ash, she was starting from scratch and Lauren had to find a way to make herself indispensable. And fast.

They pushed her into the cell, familiar and terrifying, and she sunk to the floor in the corner, away from the door. Hugging her knees to her chest it didn't take two and a half days for her to cry. Far away, she heard the thick steel door slam shut and she knew this could be it for Lauren Lewis. She wiped her cheeks with a dirty hand and sighed.

Bo would look for her. She was certain of that. _But Nadia_ … She groaned. Between Bo and Nadia, Lauren was lost in the dark. Her relationship with Nadia was one of memories and stasis but with Bo it was a live wire of attraction, heat, and the burning anticipation of what was next. But now that she was so close to freeing Nadia, Lauren was mired in indecision. Surely she had to try to resume her life-a life that Bo would help her get back-and return to the Human world. But as soon as a thought like that crossed her mind, the bottom fell out of her stomach. She couldn't turn her back on Bo, not for all the things she had done for her, but also for the times they were alone together. Lauren had never felt more herself than when she was with Bo. And even now as she drifted off to sleep against the hard wall of her cell, her thoughts were of Bo.

She woke to the sound of Bo's voice. At least, it sounded like Bo. Disoriented, Lauren stood and walked to the door to listen. It was Bo, she was right outside. Lauren wanted to scream, to get Bo to engage Lachlan but she couldn't do that to her. They didn't yet know what Lachlan's Fae was and it was just too risky for Bo to anger the head of the Light Fae so early in his tenure.

The hatch opened and Lauren found herself emboldened by Bo's nearness. _"Lachlan. Please."_

He scowled at her momentarily and then slammed the hatch shut. Lauren cried out. She was so close, so close again-that was the worst part about any of this.

"Lauren?" She heard Bo call from somewhere nearby.

Lauren stood at attention as the hatch opened again. "Say one word." And the hatch closed again.

"Hey… Lachlan… I thought I heard…"

"The catacombs are full of voices from the past. It can be… confusing to Fae that have never had the pleasure of staying awhile."

Lauren imagined Bo sizing him up as he spoke in the weird disjointed way that he did. "Oh, well, I guess I was confused. Can you have Lauren call me?"

"Perhaps."

"Okay then," came awkwardly. And she was gone.

He waited until the outer door had slammed shut again before he opened the door to her cell. He held up a hand and walked into the cell alone, she backed up until her back was against the cold wall.

"Lachlan, I'm sorry. I've been chasing this for _years_ and now when it's so close-"

"You keep forgetting your place."

Immediately, Lauren dropped to her knees. "Lachlan, please. I've done everything you've asked."

"Is that so? What would you say if I told you that I know about your little closet office, the Trojan body bags, and your slumber parties with the Succubus? Of course none of those things are as damning as the knowledge that it was you that led the other Humans in the escape. So tell me again how you've done everything I've ever asked? Because I didn't ask you to do _any_ of that, doctor."

"I-"

"I think that you may need some more time to think about what you have done for the Fae and what you have done for yourself."

He turned his back on her and she wanted to tackle him. To show him just how powerful a Human doctor could be. But instead, she slumped over onto the floor and watched the door shut behind him.

* * *

TBC


	9. Chapter 9

Author's notes: This part takes place during 2x12 - 2x18.

* * *

9\. Love

* * *

"I saw that you were perfect, and so I loved you. Then I saw that you were not perfect and I loved you even more." | Angelita Lim

* * *

" _Oh, and there's one other thing… It's so simple yet very, very critical. You can never tell Lauren that you're doing this."_

" _Why not?"_

" _Because the nail can only be removed if the person making the request has got complete and utter selfless love which is then exemplified by performing a life changing favor for someone without them ever being aware of it. I don't make up the rules but you must accept this as fact or you will not be successful."_

Love. Was it that obvious? So obvious that even Lachlan could see the depth of what she felt? Bo swallowed. She told him she would do it. She would free Nadia from her curse because it was the right thing to do because that's how Bo lived, but dammit if this one didn't sting. Between Fae travel agencies, pretas and shamans clinging to life by a mask, Bo was really frigging sick of today.

So when Lachlan _finally_ gave her the go ahead to see Lauren, Bo's heart thudded in her throat as she rushed through the compound. It had been days since they had seen each other and Bo wondered if Lauren was as uneasy about their disconnect as she had been. She climbed the stairs two at a time and rounded the corner to the lab. Passing it, she headed for Nadia's stasis chamber. She held her breath as she passed through the doorway to find Lauren with Nadia, kissing. It was worse than anything Bo had let herself consider. _It hurt._ Air was harder to pull into her lungs as she watched their reunion and wondered if Lauren felt the same about her.

They were too into each other to notice Bo hanging in the doorway, frozen in fear, in sadness, and in heartbreak. She turned and left the compound as fast as her feet would carry her. She could not see Lauren now, maybe not ever-okay, that was and exaggeration-but Bo definitely couldn't see her now, with her lips are full and rosy from their kisses or her ecstatic expression. It was too much to think about much less actually see with her own eyes so she moved quickly, silently, and with urgency to the safety of her car. Bo gasped for air and held her hand over her heart. She knew when she offered to help Lauren that it would be difficult, she just never considered how difficult and now that she was speeding up the hill to lookout point by herself Bo had time to think about that decision.

She said it herself at the outset: _"This will change everything."_ And now that it had, Bo realized she did not have a back up plan, as usual, she was adrift in her own misery and she had no way of expressing what she had given up for Lauren. She couldn't-wouldn't-cry. This was a mess of her own making-but what were the options? She had fallen for Lauren well before she revealed she had a girlfriend. _So what?_ Did she actually think that she would not help Lauren? That, to keep Lauren close, she would deny that she _could_ help? It wasn't who Bo was and she could feel Lauren's pain oozing out from the moment they met and once she found out what-or who-it was that was causing her pain, Bo was bound and determined to right the wrong even if that meant sacrificing her own happiness for Lauren's. Sometimes doing the noble thing was unthinkable, but sometimes, so was the alternative.

* * *

She spent hours at lookout point reminiscing about their past and ruminating on their future, it was a classic example of the Rubik's cube. Every action-or twist of the cube-had repercussions that would ripple through the cube and change every outcome. Her problem was not dissimilar in that every avenue she might've taken would've been equally distorted by her decision to save Nadia.

When she walked in her front door to find Kenzi's birthday surprise, Bo had to admit she was more than a little surprised, not because she didn't think Kenzi wasn't inventive enough to pull it off, but more that it seemed like everyone had forgotten about it and that was in keeping with how her day-her _birth_ day-was going.

She wasn't ready to see her. In fact, she had just spent the last four hours running from her and now, mother-of-Fae, she looked amazing… and so did Nadia. She turned and waded through her friends who clamored to be around Nadia, too. Bo dropped onto the couch unceremoniously and sighed. And in a blink, Lauren was walking toward her. With each step she grew closer and Bo tensed. She was tender already when Lauren gave her the most impersonal gift of the night. She wasn't expecting a ring or even a bracelet but throwing stars didn't rate as a gift given to someone who had done the things they had done together. She didn't have trouble identifying what she felt-disappointment, pure and simple. And how that was possible, Bo wasn't sure. She was not a greedy soul and despite not expecting gifts, she found herself expecting that the gifts she did receive (unexpectedly) would be Bo-appropriate, not a platitude of friendship or crestfallen love.

So what Bo did next made perfect sense… in Opposite Town. Sulking, Bo nursed a glass or red wine alone on the couch until she saw Lauren weaving her way through the people clustered in her living room. Bo sat up straight as Lauren settled beside her again.

"Did you have a good birthday?" Lauren smiled in that disarming way that she had mastered.

"Yeah," Bo lied, her voice breathless from the effort. "Big surprise."

"Was it?" She cocked her head and Bo could swear Lauren was flirting with her. Bo looked at Nadia to see if she had noticed.

"I was grateful for the invitation." She followed Bo's stare to Nadia. "I hope you don't mind that I brought Nadia…"

"Lauren…" Bo stalled, trying to settle her emotions. "Of course it's okay."

"I wanted to talk to you…"

"Oh?"

"I'm going away with Nadia."

Panic flooded Bo's system. "Where? Why?"

"We need to get away, to reconnect."

"Oh," she said again, this time her disappointment barely veiled.

"Are you feeling okay? You don't seem like yourself tonight."

She smiled. "I'm tired" She put her hand on Lauren's leg. "It's been a long day." Lauren glanced at Bo's hand and she pulled it away. "Sorry."

"Bo, I-" Bo could see her struggling with the words and she cringed internally at which words were meant for her.

"You should take my car."

"What?"

"The Camaro. I can get around for a few days without it. You should take it."

"Bo, I don't know…"

Locked together in a devastating look of intention, they were lost in the moment, surrounded by others and yet removed from them completely. The floorboards creaked and Bo disengaged.

Nadia stood in front of them. "Happy birthday, Bo."

"Nadia, hey…" She fumbled. "Thanks for coming."

"Lauren has told me so much about you, I feel like I know you already."

Bo smiled-she wished she could say the same-and nodded. There were no words then, just terror. Nadia smiled down on her like a coma angel and Lauren watched them both like one of her experiments. When the silence and side eyes became too much, she spoke up. "Ready to go, sweetie?" Lauren blurted before the awkwardness swallowed them whole. She stood and took Nadia's hand.

"Yeah, sure." Nadia didn't look away from Bo.

Bo hesitated, standing finally when their three-way-staring-contest became unbearable. "Have a good night."

Lauren smiled reluctantly as she turned away. Bo sagged as she watched them leave together and the melancholy returned.

She exhaled. "Happy frigging birthday to me."

* * *

" _I'm not gonna call you while I'm gone and I don't want you to call me either."_

" _Why does it feel like I'm never gonna see you again?"_

It felt like a breakup. The sad way Lauren looked at her, the fact that Lauren made Nadia wait outside and artificial distance that kept her more than an arm's length away were all a brutal thank you, whether Lauren knew it or not. When Bo agreed to free Nadia's nail she knew it must be selfless but she had no idea of how that would really feel when it was done. Now that her heart felt like it had been trampled by a pack of unicorns, Bo had other ideas. She wanted to scream at Lauren not to go, that she had awakened Nadia and for what? To make her happy. And she was at least marginally happy from what Bo could tell. And Lachlan warned her. _Shit._ She hated when the fates conspired against her, but more than that, Bo just hated when things didn't go her way.

And right now she was going the wrong way on a one way street. No really, she was in her head and the taxi she was in was on the wrong side of the road. A horn blared. She was racing toward the compound. Lachlan had tricked her and Lauren both and the rage she felt was fed not only by her love of Lauren but also being made to feel foolish. He had used her-not only to accomplish something he could misrepresent as his own good deed, but also to re-enlist Lauren, and that last bit was the deal breaker. It was one thing to use Bo but it was another to use a Human, especially one that Bo was fond of.

The cab's tires screeched into the intersection. When Bo had told this guy to drive like the wind, she really didn't think he would take her so seriously. Trick had forbid her from going after Lachlan and she did as Trick asked, she cooled it on the Lachlan rage long enough to get his ring but now it was Bo's turn. She gave the driver a twenty dollar tip. "There's more if you wait."

* * *

" _I've recommitted myself to the Ash. He saved Nadia's life. I owe him everything."_

Bo was still seeing red over Lauren's recommitment to the Ash. Four hours after Lauren had reassured her that she would return by dropping the A-bomb, Bo still couldn't believe that she had helped trap Lauren for good. She wanted only to free Lauren, to watch her flourish, and now she had served her up to the Light Fae, the opportunistic assholes that they were.

She would fight for her and Lachlan wouldn't see it coming. At least that was the plan until she found a box of heads and Lachlan got the jump on her. He was a crafty swordsman and Bo had her hands full with him before their sudden truce. He had no clue why Bo was fighting him, just that she wanted him dead-the reason was inconsequential. In the end, Lauren's status was tabled until they could stave off the great evil coming their way. _It's always something._ Both she and Lauren had big parts to play and at least that meant they'd be playing those parts together.

By the time Lauren returned her car, Bo had found other ways to fill her time. Ryan was a chauvinistic dick but he made her heart hurt less. She convinced herself she was over Lauren after the absurdly short time. Until Lauren walked into her arms, and Bo was astonished what she still felt-what she never stopped feeling. Distraction was distraction was distraction and as much as she wanted to be blameless and painless, she couldn't pretend that she was either.

And now Lauren was never alone with Nadia was permanently affixed to her side, Bo wondered what was the use of being together if they could never be alone, together? And all she could hear echoing in her brain was a whisper that said: _careful what you wish for._ Close enough to touch but not close enough to keep. It was the story of Bo's life.

Just like Dyson, just like Lauren, just like Ryan and anyone else she ever considered getting serious with. She was a Succubus who feeds on sex. But that was the joke-it couldn't ever be with the same person. Bo was the queen of short term relationships and while some might find that exciting, being a Succubus was exciting enough. She wanted someone to come home to after the brawling was done. She wanted a little slice of domesticity in whatever form that took. Kenzi had Nate now and Bo felt her loneliness acutely.

So when she worked her first case with Lauren back, it felt right again. _She_ felt right again. The high school was a hive of activity and as a fake teacher, not only did Bo have students and other teachers buzzing around her but also her own undercover team infiltrating it. In a busy hall between periods, Bo bounced between Kenzi, Dyson, Ryan, and Lauren, who had pulled her into a janitor's closet.

She shut the door swiftly behind Bo. "What is it about you and janitor's closets?"

Lauren looked down at the crime scene case she had in her hand and smiled. "I just didn't feel like I could say what I needed to say out there."

Bo looked at her seriously. "Oh."

"Bo…" Lauren set the case down and took at step forward. The incredibly small space of the closet felt smaller as she inched closer. "I missed you."

"Lauren… is this a good idea?"

She shook her head. "I don't know what to do…"

"And cornering your ex-lover in a janitor's closet was somehow not the direction you were supposed to take…?"

"Ex-lover?"

"Aren't I? I mean, aren't we?"

Lauren sighed. "I thought that this was fate. I should have told you about Nadia sooner and given you the choice of whether you wanted to continue this…thing…between us… But Bo…" She extended a hand and caressed Bo's collarbone. "I was afraid of what you might say."

Bo closed her eyes and covered the hand with her own. Her touch was sublime and Bo couldn't deny that she didn't want Lauren to move on without her either. "It's not every day someone tells a girl they think they're fated. I should be flattered, shouldn't I?" Bo stuttered.

"I can't tell you how happy I am to hear you say that," Lauren breathed. Her fingers were in Bo's hair and she was leaning into her, tasting the sweetness of her lips.

Bo's fingers curled around Lauren's waist as their kiss deepened. Desperation set in swiftly and Bo was pressing Lauren against the door. Her kiss was hot and unpredictable, and the improvised nature of her touch sent shockwaves through her body. Bo felt her intentions balanced on a razor's edge. She could remain the kind-hearted do-gooder that helped because it was the right thing to do or she could be the other woman who broke up a relationship that's been on life support for five years or longer. Bo wasn't thrilled by either prospect right that second, with Lauren pressed against her, hands roaming the tight-tight suit Bo wore.

"Lauren-" Bo tore her mouth away from Lauren's. "I can't…" Lauren stumbled backwards, as Bo fumbled with the doorknob and pulled open the door, disappearing into the crowded hallway from whence they came.

* * *

It was hours after she had danced with Ryan before telling him goodbye and Bo was exhausted. Kenzi was back to normal thanks to Lauren (as usual) and Bo had managed to avoid any more awkwardness with her before the case was solved. These two things were assuredly related. It was rejection that pushed her into Ryan Lambert's waiting arms in the first place. He was thrilled to have a succubus to play with and she was just glad he didn't remind her of a certain blonde doctor. Not even a bit. He made her feel special and wanted and he looked at her with a sense of wonder. And maybe, had she not been preyed on in the janitor's closet, Bo might not have called it off with him. But the truth was, any way she sliced it, Bo was just biding her time and Ryan was the perfect distraction. At least until he tried to Fae roofie her into marriage-that was the breaking point for Bo. Truth was-light or dark-Ryan wasn't right for Bo. His interest began and ended with her Fae and Bo had been down that road before with Dyson. She thought it ran deeper with him but Dyson shut her out and in order to protect her feelings, Bo had no other choice than to think that it was all a sham.

And then there was Lauren… and Lauren cared but she also lied. And it wasn't a lie of an innocuous sort either, these were major withholdings. And as much as Bo liked the chase, she had to consider Lauren's motives. And that's where the confusion came in. Lauren's aura was honest and true and Bo believed her when she said "I want you." Most of all, she considered what she would do were their situations reversed and Bo thought her playbook was pretty sound after all. She felt alive in Lauren's embrace and it wasn't something she took lightly. The Garuda was coming for them and now more than ever, she wanted that feeling of serenity. She needed to be at her best if she is going to lead the Ash's army into battle and the succubus' preferred method of doing that is sex. And right now Bo's craving was not just for nameless, faceless encounter, instead, her craving was much more pointed. She wanted Lauren. And there wasn't anything or anyone that could deter her.

* * *

TBC


	10. Chapter 10

Author's notes: This part takes place during 2x19 & 2x20.

Additionally, if you are still reading this and not understanding that this fic is a collection of missing scenes amidst of a canon roundup, I cannot help you. I have explained this many times and still I'm getting comments about people not understanding. The plot is going to continue to be the same as the show and my updates will continue to be missing scenes. If you like that? Thank you for reading. So much. If you can't or won't understand that there are different ways to approach fic writing than this is probably not for you and I'm sorry for that. We could have had some fun together.

* * *

10\. Casualties

* * *

"In every war there will be casualties." | Unknown

* * *

" _I'm still amazed by how you stuck by me all that time."_

The guilt landed like an anvil on a piano, painful and true. She had stuck by her for five long years and then Bo… She sighed. It didn't matter who or what caused her to cheat or why she did it, the fact was, she had. It would be easy to say that it was lust that broke her and it would be so easy to blame it all on Bo and her gifts but, truthfully, Lauren had fallen for her long before she ever was invited to touch her. And maybe that was the worst of it-the affair of her heart.

She loved Nadia in that safe, comfortable way. It was something that was just there and she didn't question why it was still there after so many years of being untended. But Nadia was the last vestige of Lauren's life before the Fae and that seemed reason enough. And then there was what she was only beginning to realize that she felt for Bo: A white hot deluge of excitement and fire coursing through her veins. It was this exhilaration that fueled her love for Bo. It was unlike any Human connection that she had ever made. It was Fae and it was fate.

She felt like a defector for swapping allegiances so easily but things were different since Nadia awoke. Lauren was no prude when it came to sex but since waking from her coma, Nadia was noticeably crass. She felt unfamiliar-a stranger-which Lauren attributed to the five years that had passed. Confusing things further was that Nadia had grown increasingly aggressive over the past few days and Lauren felt less and less like she was the woman she remembered from five long years ago.

She should have done something the night before when Nadia had thrown her syringe against the wall and refused her doctoring. Now Lauren was naked and cowering in in the shower after narrowly escaping a few manic swipes of a chef's knife. Afterwards, Nadia had run away and Lauren was worried when she would return. She was terrified and she had no idea what to do so she called Bo whose phone went straight to voicemail.

Nadia was gone for hours, for which Lauren was grateful as horrible as that made her feel. She phoned Bo again and left two more messages before Nadia stumbled in, holding her head. She was a doctor first and foremost and even if she didn't trust who or what Nadia had become, Lauren felt compelled to heal her. And when she asked for the truth, Lauren gave it to her, unabridged. She was even going to tell her about Bo but she didn't want to hear about her dalliances, she wanted to hear about the Fae's secrets, and the bottom dropped out of her stomach. _What had she done?_

The next five minutes would be viewed under a lens of scrutiny for the rest of her life. Nadia attacked them both. Her pain was unbearable and Lauren felt helpless, so when she begged to be killed, Lauren was horrified but as the situation escalated she gave herself over to Nadia's wailing and pain and she too begged Bo to end it for her, for Nadia.

And when it happened, it was an instinct. Bo ran her through to protect Lauren. They stood there in shock as the life drained from Nadia's face and she crumpled to the floor. The devastation in Lauren's tears reverberated in Bo's chest as she left Lauren's loft.

She just left.

She left Lauren alone with her unsolvable grief. And for every bit of grief Lauren was feeling it was now matched by Bo's guilt. She had killed Nadia. And she had killed her not because Lauren and even Nadia had begged her to do it and certainly not for any selfish reason but for the simple primal need to protect. Always the heroine, right? She wasn't feeling the heroism now, Kenzi snuggled up next to her in bed. She couldn't talk about it and she sure as hell couldn't sleep. She took comfort in Kenzi's warmth and the even cadence of her breathing. Her friend was the calm Bo needed when matters of the heart, or somewhere south of there, troubled her. But tonight, Kenzi had her own worries and Bo played the heroine once more.

When her friend had overtaken her pillow and pushed her back to the edge of the bed, Bo took the opportunity to slip away and before she knew it she was driving with the windows down in the dead of night. She was running from her thoughts, speeding toward her fate, and returning to the scene of her most recent crime.

She pushed inside silently, boldly. Her eyes went immediately to the spot on the floor where Nadia had lay bleeding out. She shut the door behind her and climbed the stairs without inciting a creak or groan from the wood. When she reached the top of the stairs, Lauren's bedroom door glowed invitingly. Taking a deep breath, she turned the knob and then she was standing at the foot of Lauren's bed. Her lamp cast shadows on the wall, shining far too brightly for the early hour. Lauren was dabbing her face with tissue when she recognized the movement at the foot of her bed.

"Jesus, Bo!" She gasped.

She held up her hands. "Don't shoot." As soon as she said it she realized it was too early for don't-kill-me jokes.

"Why are you here, Bo?"

"I thought you might be up…"

"And what, you thought slumber party?"

"Lauren, it's not like that."

"What happened today? Can you tell me that?"

"Lauren…"

"Just say it, Bo."

"Well, there was screaming, and confusion, and Lauren…"

"She's dead, Bo." Tears rolled down her cheeks again and she reached for another tissue. "And I asked you to do it." She shook her head and dissolved into another crying jag.

"Lauren…" Bo moved to the side of the bed and sat on the edge.

"I told you to do it." Her chin wrinkled, expressing her internal agony.

Bo wanted to reach out and touch her but she was tip-toeing through a mine field of emotions, afraid to start off a chain reaction that would ruin them both. "She was going to hurt you, Lauren."

"You should go." Her voice was cold and distant.

"Lauren, I think we should talk about this."

"Her blood is still staining my floor, I think it can wait." She closed her eyes and Bo took the opportunity to leave her side, throwing a concerned glance over her shoulder as she crossed the threshold of her bedroom and retreated.

* * *

It would be another three days before Bo would see her again, walking into her loft to find a sprawling mess and a Lauren that was obviously worse for the wear of the past week. It was a short conversation, if you could call it that, and Lauren could barely look at her. It was a crushing blow and she left Lauren as she found her-destroyed.

They saw each other shortly in the Dal when Lauren came to tend to Hale and the reception wasn't much better so Bo tried to move past it enough to do what she needed to do for Trick and Lachlan but it niggled in the back of her brain and thoughts of Lauren were ever-present. So when Lauren showed up at the clubhouse all smiles, smelling incredible, having changed her clothes and her hair since she saw her earlier, Bo didn't quite understand.

" _Can I sleep with you?"  
_

Bo's heart was in her throat. Watching Lauren explain how sex can help someone grieve all the while fully expecting to be that outlet for her, it was a serious swipe at the desire she felt. They sat in the living room for another twenty minutes-enough time for Lauren to down two more shots-barely speaking before climbing onto the big four-poster bed upstairs. There was an awkward moment when they were trying to decide how to lay together. Truth was, they didn't cuddle much. There was never a lot of time and their stolen moments were short. And it was never a dull party when they were together for however long they could manage. But the urge to sit on her own hands right then was overwhelming. Look but don't touch. Touch but don't _touch_.

Lauren's head was on her breast and the silence was deafening but Bo waited for her to open up. She knew it would come in time but she was incredibly uncomfortable in the silence that kept her waiting. When Lauren finally spoke, she was on the verge of tears and wanting to run away from the Fae once and for all and inside all Bo could feel was despair but she knew Lauren's plight was more important than the big ball of emotional crap Bo found herself caught up in. She held her breath and did the impossible: without putting her feelings aside, she encouraged Lauren.

" _Whatever you decide, whatever happens, we are in this together. Let's just hope Dyson really is the chosen one."_

"Bo, its always been you, why would it be Dyson now?"

"The Wolf Spirit said-"

"The last Naga has also said you are the one."

"Did Lachlan put you up to this?"

Lauren smirked. "No…" She reached up and stroked Bo's face. "This is all me."

Bo sighed. "Lauren…"

Her eyes were bright and shining with unspent tears but the expression on her face told the story. She was there to transfer the pain, she was there to reunite, and she was there to begin again. She crawled over Bo and overwhelmed her with a kiss. Bo played at being reluctant but once Lauren sat straddling her hips, hands cupping her face, and a bliss-bringing kiss that made her feel things she never wanted to stop feeling. She was tearing at Bo's clothes now, the pace of their encounter quickly getting out of hand.

Bo pulled away and sucked in a breath. "Lauren… don't you think we should talk?" Her lips were full and pink and Bo only wanted to continue kissing her.

"I need you." Her words came out in a rush, desperate and hushed. "Please."

Bo needed no further encouragement, she reached up and pulled Lauren's shirt over her head. She had been waiting, wanting and now she was warring with herself over whether or not she should be so lucky to be with Lauren again. For whatever guilt Bo felt, her desire was a thousand times more telling, and as long as she wasn't taking advantage of a grief-stricken Lauren, Bo was more than willing to help her redistribute the pain.

Lauren reached behind her back and unfastened her bra, Bo's hands laying claim to her breasts as soon as the fabric was pulled away. Leaning over her, Lauren's hair shrouded her face momentarily before she flipped it over her shoulder. Bo smiled at the sight of her face and kissed her again. "Lauren, I-"

She shook her head. "Shhh…" She hushed her with another kiss and scooted down until she was straddling Bo's thighs, laying on top of her.

Bo knew she was being used, not maliciously, just that Lauren sought comfort in her embrace and release in her bed and Bo received her first as her friend and second as her lover. She only wanted to ease her pain and if Bo could do that with her body than she was happy to oblige. She gripped Lauren's hips and rolled on top of her. Bo pulled back and removed her top before returning to Lauren's mouth. She held her face in her hands, her blonde hair splayed across the pillowcase like a halo, and pressed her forehead against Lauren's, their breath mingling. They laid like that for a time before the gravity of what they were doing seemed to hit Lauren and tears welled up in her eyes as she began to sob.

Bo rolled them onto their sides and brushed the hair from her eyes. "Hey… we don't have to do this," Bo whispered.

"No." She shook her head and touched Bo's cheek with a finger. "I need you."

Brushing the back of her hand against Lauren's cheek and a glow spread across her face. Lauren sighed and reached for Bo, wrapping her arms around Bo's neck. She kissed her and relaxed into Bo. She had used her touch on Lauren, not for control, but to ease her pain and one look at her blissed out expression and Bo knew it had worked.

Lauren fumbled with the waistband of Bo's pants and stripped them away before helping Bo slide the jeans from her own hips. In a flurry they were undressed and the heat from their skin was pressed together at last. And that's is where things got foggy for Bo. She was overwhelmed, by Lauren, who climbed on top of her and took her time, She was making love to Bo and whatever she was feeling about Nadia, it was hidden. She coveted Bo, kissing her everywhere.

Bo was aware of how ridiculous it sounded for a succubus to be outmatched by a human sexually, and truth be told-she wasn't, but her emotions were in uncharted waters. To have Lauren touch her so honestly, as an expression of her emotions, it was an honor and a privilege; she was amazing. Bo knew about sex and love-making from one end of the spectrum and back again and she knew what Lauren was sharing with her then was unsurpassed by any experience she had ever had.

Her kisses reached Bo's thigh as she nudged her legs apart and settled between them. The first glance across her skin was like catching fire, the flames chasing her finger's trail as Bo's hips chased them both. Her featherlike touch caressed her thighs as her mouth took pleasure in taking its time at her center.

She was sublime and Bo was at her mercy. She touched the top of Lauren's head tentatively and sighed as her touch influenced Lauren's next move. It felt like hours had passed, her body was warm, her limbs vibrated and her toes curled. She was poised to rock the foundation of the clubhouse when Lauren expertly released her from her holding pattern.

Bo's hips lifted off the bed as Lauren gripped them and dazzled her, bringing a release that rattled the slats on the windows. The smile on her face as she crawled up Bo's body was unrivaled and Bo was on her immediately. With a yearning that had plenty of time to mature, Bo covered her with her body with her own and kissed her with a force so rare and beautiful that it took Lauren's breath away. Bo pulled away and hovered above her, hands planted on either side of Lauren's head. With eyes ablaze, she looked her over, appreciating every triumph and every flaw for its beauty. Her hands moved so swiftly and so expertly that she caught Lauren off-guard.

It was Bo's turn to overwhelm. Her hands roamed with purpose, teasing her and leaving her breathless. Her mouth tempted and her body moved like quicksilver; the fluid motion of her hips and the sheen covering her body as she encouraged Lauren with a slow and compassionate care. Bo matched the attention Lauren had shown her and raised the stakes.

If there was one thing Bo knew, it was pleasure, and she made the critical acknowledgment of their relationship despite the obstacles they face and opened her heart again. She made love to Lauren, luring her out of hiding and enticing her to stay. The chase was real and even as Bo slid a hand between their bodies, she knew Lauren was still coming to terms with her relationship with Nadia and, of course, her death, and Bo's role in all of it. But they both let go of the restrictions of reality and Lauren succumbed to Bo's sexual acuity, and Bo did not let her down.

Lauren's hips rocked helplessly as Bo slipped into her. Her gasp elicited a smile from Bo and she began to move. Her head tossed against the pillow as Bo took her Succubus game to the majors. Slowly building speed, Bo kissed her on the neck, shoulder, and breast before capturing her mouth again. The kiss was a super-charged testament to the feelings flowing between them and Bo felt it in her chest, swelling whenever Lauren whimpered.

Fingernails scraped across Bo's back and dug in. Lauren buried her face in her neck as she pressed deeper. Holding Lauren against her, Bo increased the tempo between her legs, her thumb sweeping out to tempt her further. She was moving against Bo, moaning in her ear and clutching at her skin. She was losing her pain and her fear and steamrolling over them as she careened toward not just release but a full-on purge of the things she was feeling.

"Bo," she half-whispered, half-moaned and Bo had to bite her lip to keep from moaning herself.

She was close now, so close that Bo began to rock against her. And when Lauren found release, Bo was not far behind and together they moved as one, the push and the pull, the intrinsic natural attraction between them like fire in their blood, an alchemy that could no longer be denied. They were at peace, breath heavy, sweat's shine covering their bodies and warm hearts aware of one another once again.

Bo held Lauren, hugged her tightly against her body as their breathing slowed and Lauren held on to her, slowly kissing Bo's shoulder as their bodies began to cool. Untangling herself, Lauren pulled Bo back toward the headboard with her and flopped on her back. She sighed and looked pointedly at Bo. "I didn't mean for that to happen."

Bo's laugh wasn't harsh, but it conveyed her amusement that Lauren thought she had accidentally slept with her. "Maybe just a little?" Bo said.

Bo held her hand in hers and watched as Lauren played with their fingers absentmindedly. "I feel crazy. I haven't slept, I lashed out at you…This isn't why I came here, I swear to you."

"Lauren… You're grieving. Give yourself a break."

She looked at their hands. "It was all my fault."

"It's a little late in the game to start that." Bo nudged her with her knee.

"I'm serious."

"Lauren, I'm really sorry."

"Bo…" Lauren's chin wobbled with emotion.

"I did this," Bo admitted. "And I left you to clean up. I'm so sorry, Lauren. Nadia deserved better."

Lauren closed her eyes and sucked in a breath. "She deserved better than me. I let her down."

"Don't say that."

"I couldn't even stay faithful."

"You loved her."

"Once… but she wasn't the same person I knew before the Fae put their hooks into us."

"That's because the Garuda was using her as his puppet."

"No, Bo… It's me. _I_ ' _m_ the one that's different."

Lauren fell silent and Bo could tell there was more to that thought but it was becoming apparent that there would be no revelations tonight. She craned her neck to kiss Bo suddenly. Her hand held Bo's cheek as she moved closer. The contact was insistent and Bo did not need any other encouragement. Maybe she was wrong about the revelations…

* * *

TBC


	11. Chapter 11

Author's notes: So here we are… the end of season two. I am still considering whether or not to continue this series. Please follow/fav me to keep up with updates/new posts. And if you want season three, drop me a comment, won't you?

* * *

11\. Lost & Found

* * *

"There are so many ways to be brave in this world. Sometimes bravery involves laying down your life for something bigger than yourself, or for someone else. Sometimes it involves giving up everything you have ever known, or everyone you have ever loved, for the sake of something greater." | Veronica Roth

* * *

She was gasping for air, tearing at the sheets and writhing on the bed for the umpteenth time that night. Not that she was complaining. Or maybe she was.

"How many times are you going to make love to me to avoid talking about it."

A sideways glance. A sigh. "Because this?" She motioned at their bodies, the bed, the sheets, and the four posts that stand by and watch it all. "This is where I want to be. I don't want to feel things I have no right in feeling."

"I'm no shrink but I have studied under Oprah and she would say that you have a right to those feelings."

"You're incorrigible." Lauren pulled the sheet up to her neck and sighed. "You left me, Bo. I held her until she was cold and then I had to call Lachlan and tell him about the Garuda." She held her hand up to her ear like a telephone. "Oh, by the way, could you send someone to remove Nadia's body from my loft. Yes, that's right, Bo stabbed her."

Bo grimaced and leaned up on an elbow. "Lauren, I am sorry. I couldn't cope with what I had done and I should have stayed."

Lauren nodded. "I know it wasn't fair to ask you to do that."

"You didn't. I mean, you did, but that's not why I did it." Bo sighed at the ceiling. "I was protecting you."

Lauren looked at her hands, fidgeting in their stillness. "Tell that to my guilt."

Bo turned her head and looked at Lauren. "I kinda just did." She smiled warmly and a heavy silence blanketed them. There was still so much to say and to tease apart but they had reached the saturation point.

"So how about that Garuda?" Lauren asked enthusiastically.

Bo laughed. "Nice one."

"Well, it's a valid question," she said seriously.

Bo sighed. "Lachlan says I'm the Champion, and I want to believe him…"

"What does Trick say?"

"He's with the Wolf Spirit. For the most part."

"Dyson?" Lauren asked, already knowing the answer.

Bo nodded. "I guess the Wolf Spirit doesn't say much so when she talks, it's kind of a big deal."

"I've never dealt with the Wolf Spirit, but I'd never bet against you." A soft smile touched the corners of her mouth and she covered Bo's forearm with her hand.

"Something awful is going to happen, Lauren, I can feel it in my bones. The Nain Rouge gave me in a vision and…" She shook her head. "It can't come true."

"The Nain Rouge? Bo, do you know what that means?"

"Yeah, another pain in my ass." Bo scooted closer to Lauren. "Anyways, I don't want to think about that anymore."

Lauren hummed as Bo kissed her neck. "Now who's avoiding?"

"Would you rather play checkers?" Her words whispered across her skin.

Lauren arched. "When you put it like that…"

Rolling on top of her, Bo luxuriated in the feel of their skin pressed together. She stilled, a look of concern spreading across her face. "You missed curfew."

Lauren's expression fell and she shook her head. "Lachlan's got more important things to worry about."

"You're sure?"

Lauren placed a palm against her cheek. "I'm where I'm supposed to be."

Bo kissed her with a conviction she had never felt compelled to express before. It was a scorching manifestation of lust and a love that still haunted her despite not being able to confess it. It was there every minute of every day, smoldering, just waiting to catch fire when she could be near Lauren again. And now that they were there in her bed, Bo's fire threatened to engulf them both.

Holding Lauren was like holding a rare Faberge egg. Fragile and beautiful, and full of mystery. And she was careful-so careful-when they were together. She didn't feed, though the instinct was always there, she couldn't bear the thought. Still, her eyes flickered electric blue as their bodies began to move against one another and she squashed every last bit of her instinct. Instead of chi sucking, there were everlasting kisses. Instead of the drain, she coveted her body, and made Lauren the focus.

She moved like silk flowing over sand, ever-changing. Hugging her contours, expertly stroking her with her hands, and kissing every inch of Lauren kept Bo focused. It was the longest they had ever stayed together, save the one time she spent the night at Lauren's. But this was…a marathon by every definition of the word.

Lauren came to her hours ago. They climbed the stairs together, and found comfort in the other's breathing as they lay together on Bo's bed. Now it was almost dawn and by all rights they both should have been spent but their revival was far from over.

It started with a kiss and the flame begin anew. A candle always burned for Bo, but tonight the whole house was on fire and it threatened to burn to the ground. Her aura was white hot and they rolled around beneath the sheets-an expression of joy and persevering love even if it still remained hidden. They made love again and again and each time it was a celebration tinged with fear that it would never happen again.

Bo would be charging into battle soon and the end of the Fae was on the line. Nothing would be the same soon, she was sure of it.

When morning dawned upon the clubhouse and the pinks and purples of dawn spread across the walls, they finally slept. But sleep was short-lived as they both had responsibilities. Bo slipped away first, slipping into a kimono after her shower and wandering back into her bedroom to get dressed. She couldn't decide what to wear because her gaze kept falling on Lauren, asleep in her bed. Lauren always slept with her pillow in a ferocious grapple and today was no different. She was holding on for dear life and a wave of sadness washed over Bo as she turned away, taking her clothes into the other room. On any other day she would find Lauren's pillow grip precious but today, knowing what she knew, it was heartbreaking.

They were in this together. It's wasn't just some platitude, she had meant it. Lauren wasn't alone in this-not anymore. When she had dressed and her makeup and hair were just so, she walked into her bedroom once again. Lauren had moved sides of the bed and she was now squeezing Bo's pillow. She sat on the side of the bed and lifted a tendril of Lauren's hair from her face. Slowly, she came back to consciousness.

She inhaled and buried her face in the pillow momentarily. She smiled. "Hey."

"Hey." Bo smiled back and reached out to caress her bare shoulder. "I have to go, but stay as long as you want."

"What time is it?"

"Almost eleven. Kenzi and I are heading to the Dal to meet up with everybody. Big Garuda hunt."

"I should get back." She started to sit up.

Bo sat on the edge of the bed. "You need to go, Lauren. Rent a car and get as far away from here as you can. The Garuda is coming and I have no idea how this is going to turn out."

She shook her head. "I can't."

"The Fae have done nothing for you. You deserve to be free."

* * *

She rushed back to the compound, gathering her courage as the cab sped toward her destination. She was leaving. She showered, changed and packed a bag. She could no longer be a slave. It was time to leave. There was only one person she'd dare to find her and that was Bo. What possessed Lauren to answer her texts when Lachlan messaged her was sheer curiosity. She went to the throne room prepared for anything but milking a thousand-year-old Naga's venom still fell into the exceptional circumstances portion of her job.

She was going to run and leave all it behind but now she had the Naga venom and the weight of the world fell squarely on her shoulders, too. There was work to be done and Lauren could never leave the lab with things left unfinished. She would do this for the Fae, for Bo and Trick and the others. She would do this for herself because character is defined by situations just like the one she found herself in.

What followed was a hellish thirty-six hours. Lachlan was dead. Lauren barely slept save for nodding off at her microscope or computer keyboard. She worked tirelessly trying to save Lachlan's venom but she was losing more and more of the sample as time wore on.

" _Breathless."_

 _"Completely."_

Looking back, having an epiphany when Bo Dennis was about to kiss her was more frustrating than much of her adult life but it had led her to saving a viable sample of the Naga venom. Her greatest obstacle wasn't stabilizing the venom, it was putting the ache she felt for Bo aside long enough to think about stabilizing the venom. She was omnipresent in her thoughts and mixing her with science was a cocktail for disaster. But Lauren had it under control. She had solved the riddle of the venom and now Bo was there to take it to the next stage. Lachlan had said she would have an important part to play she just never figured it would be post-mortem.

* * *

Bo was standing in front of her looking like a perfect beauty in black. Her confidence was growing, Lauren could feel her strength even as she stood apart from her.

" _Then be what we need…a leader."_

Bo recognized the desire in her touch…her expression…and the want for more time was overwhelming. If she could just have an uninterrupted hour with Lauren where the Garuda and the end of Fae were banned subjects of conversation. Hell, in a perfect world there would be no need for talking at all.

"Lauren…"

She shook her head. "I know." There was no time. She turned back to her desk. "I've been thinking about your problem with the Garuda…"

"Flaming eagle fire extinguisher?" Bo said, her humor still in full effect.

"Nothing so flashy, I'm afraid. I was thinking about your blood."

"Lauren…"

"What I propose is injecting a small amount of your blood into each Fae to bind them to you and force their loyalty."

"Lauren, I know. That's why I'm here." Bo regarded her seriously. "Can you do this for me?"

Lauren cocked her head. "Of course." She smiled. "Sit, please."

Bo removed her jacket and sat in Lauren's chair. She snapped into a pair of gloves thoughtfully and tied Bo's arm off. She swabbed her skin with alcohol and tossed the swab in the trash. Her thin fingers picked up a syringe and expertly inserted the needle into her arm. She drew a number of vials, estimating how much they would need on the fly before bandaging Bo up. "Lauren, thank you."

"You don't need to thank me," she said quietly.

Bo stood and stepped into Lauren's space. "You don't owe me anything."

"I was going to leave," she blurted.

Bo brushed the hair from Lauren's temple. "Why'd you stay?"

Lauren smiled. "I don't know."

"You're a terrible liar," Bo whispered against her lips.

Unable to resist, Lauren captured Bo's lips with her own in a tender kiss. Pulling away slowly, Lauren's eyes opened to find Bo's gaze pinning her in place.

"Are you sure you're ready for the battle ahead?"

"Of course," she lied again.

Bo smiled and shook her finger. "Gotta work on that," she said as she turned away. "I'll call you."

* * *

They had fought and they had won. It was a war not without causalities but the Garuda had been defeated and they had survived. The celebration at the Dal was in full swing and her drink was only half-done when Bo went to put on her red leather jacket to find Kenzi. Something caught her attention in the mirror and she peered into the it and the blue shimmer in her eyes. _Had the Darkness come to stay?_ Bo felt the power coursing through her veins and right to her core. Her desire was overwhelming.

"Bo is everything all right?" She approached the succubus from behind, finding her hunched in front of a full length mirror.

Bo blinked and her eyes returned to brown before turning around. "Yeah, I'm fine." She looked at the bag in Lauren's hand. "Hey, where are you going?"

"It's late…"

"Newsflash: Without an Ash there is no one to care about your comings and goings."

Lauren smiled awkwardly. "I'm tired. It's been a busy couple of days."

Bo's coy expression didn't fool anyone, but still she wore it convincingly with Lauren. "Yeah, I guess it was. Look, let me take you back to the compound."

"I thought it might be nice if I went home with you…"

Bo opened her mouth but nothing came out. She smiled. "Sure." She pulled her keys out of her pocket and waited for Lauren to walk ahead of her.

At the car, their eyes met, each daring the other to make the first move. It was a quiet ride back to the clubhouse, but the tension was unbearable. Bo's mouth watered at the thought of a weekend unfettered by the Garuda or Lachlan and most importantly the end of the world.

She stepped out of the Camaro onto the gravel of the driveway and rounded the front of the car. Bo walked ahead of her up the stairs and into the mud room. Before she could open the door to the inner sanctum, Lauren grabbed Bo's hand and halted her forward progress. "I'm intruding on your space aren't I?"

A small laugh came from Bo as she turned, pausing to look at her hand in Lauren's. "Never." She shook her head and pushed through the front door. Lauren followed her into the living room and dropped onto the sofa as Bo continued into the kitchen, tossing her keys onto the island and peering into the refrigerator. "You want a beer?"

"Sure," she called from the sofa.

One at a time, Bo put the beer bottle's cap against her counter and popped it off with her fist. Taking a long drag of her beer, Bo shrugged off her red leather jacket and walked toward the sofa. Lauren received her with her eyes as she approached, the tilt of her hips enticing her.

Bo passed Lauren a bottle and sat beside her-closer than friends might sit-and took another swig of her beer. "I'll admit I was a little surprised when you said you wanted to stay over."

Lauren turned to face Bo more directly. "Are you really?"

"I just thought-"

"I'd want to spend the night after we saved the Fae by myself in my cell like a good little Human?"

Bo laughed, setting her beer aside as she leaned into Lauren's space. "Kenzi won't be home for awhile."

"You left her there," Lauren realized. "Isn't she going to be mad?"

"She'll understand and Hale will drive her home. She'll be fine." Bo smiled and leaned in to kiss her softly.

Their chemistry experiment was about to blow the walls off the lab and burn it to the ground. The way Bo looked at her was magical and yet carnal. It was inescapable. Even as tired as Lauren was and knowing what sex with Bo would take, she still wanted to give her everything. She stood, casting a powerful glance back at Bo before she set her beer down on the table in front of them and walked away. She crossed the clubhouse and climbed the stairs, and when she got to the bedroom, she could feel and hear Bo behind her and she began to undress. She unbuttoned her blouse slowly and as she let it fall open, Bo approached silently, gently pushing the shirt from her shoulders to the floor. Lauren stripped her jeans off her hips and stepped out of them. Bo turned Lauren to face her and unbuckled her thigh holster as she kissed Lauren, whose arms snaked around Bo's neck. It was a reunion, however short-lived their separation was. But now they were there, together and alone. As Lauren fumbled with Bo's bra, their mouths met again, this time frenzied and eager. Bo pushed her onto her back on the bed and crawled over her.

This was about the time Lauren had to admit she was in over her head with the most powerful succubus she had ever known. _Jesus. How was this her life now?_ She was living in an Alice in Wonderland existence, faced with new Fae all the time and the isolation that comes from being a nomad in an otherworld. She had found Bo much like Alice had found the Cheshire Cat-by blindly bumping into her as she navigated and now she was reluctant to move on to the next town. If only one thing was going her way and she was still bound in servitude to the Light, then she wanted to be near Bo.

She pulled Bo down to her lips and stole a kiss as Bo reached around to unfasten her bra. She grunted and it sparked something deep inside of Lauren as she flipped Bo onto her back.

Bo threw her head back and laughed so joyfully that Lauren couldn't help but to join her. Unable to resist her, Lauren kissed Bo again. "Doctor…" Lauren squared up against Bo and ground down against her. She bit her lip and arched her back, and Lauren didn't think she had seem something so wanton and beautiful in all her years. Her eyes flashed blue. "I want you."

A smile and suddenly there was a fount of energy for her to tap into. Her hips moved between Bo's legs once again eliciting another moan. She felt all-powerful pressing herself against Bo, only the fabric of their panties separating them, but oh, the friction they created. Their mouths met once again and she rocked against Bo, her heat spreading between them.

She used her body and the friction between them to stir Bo into a frenzy. She held Lauren's hips as they undulated against her. It was a study in love and worship. Her body moved with such care and acumen that Bo had little reserves to defend against the attention. The rocking of her hips became more and more insistent and Bo's frustration was beginning to show. She tore at the sheets and her hips began their own revolutions against Lauren. The delightful rasping of fabric on skin tempted her.

Faster and faster, her hips worked against Bo's, their kisses as deep and intense as ever and Lauren had lost herself. Hips bucked against one another, breathing came heavily between wet kisses and Bo's grip on her ass was legendary.

Lauren began to lose it first-her hips losing step and jerking haphazardly as pure bliss befell her. As Lauren's forehead fell upon Bo's shoulder her hips responded to Lauren's erratic thrusts and soon she was enjoying Lauren's gift. She tensed and moaned Lauren's name and nothing could ever have sound better than she did in that moment.

She relaxed into Bo as their breathing slowed before rolling away. Squeezing her pillow, Lauren smiled into it and stared across the space between them. Bo rolled onto her side, a sly smile creeping across her face.

"You've been holding out on me," Bo's voice was raw and thick with sex.

Lauren chuckled. "Or maybe I was waiting to surprise you."

"Well, it worked." Bo sighed happily. Her hand reached out and touched Lauren's arm. "You look tired."

"It's been a long week."

"That might be the understatement of the Faepocalypse."

"Thanks for letting me crash the after-party." She grinned.

Bo's cat-like stretch inched her closer to Lauren. "It wouldn't have been much of an after-party without you."

"You could have gone home with anyone," she smiled and looked away.

"I came home with you." Bo kissed her shoulder.

Every word that she knew was on the tip of her tongue but nothing came. Instead, she stared into Bo's eyes and tried to find the bottom to the seemingly bottomless well of her feelings. Her brown eyes were full of an emotion they were both still to scared to say but her dogmatic stare was returned ten-fold. They were in this together, a Human and a Succubus, lost and found.

Sliding into Bo's embrace, Lauren let go of every awful thing the Fae had done to her because they had brought her to Bo. And this was where she was meant to be-in the arms of a succubus, head on her chest, surrounded by her things, Lauren breathed her in, hoping to keep a part with her forever. Bo pulled the duvet up and around them and she was instantly warm. It was as close to heaven as Lauren could ever claim she'd come. Bo held her, soothed her, enveloped her. She felt safe and cherished all at once. "Bo?"

"Hm?" Bo's hand played in her hair.

The arm around Bo's waist tightened. "I love being here with you." _Together._

In the dusky light of her bedroom, Bo smiled at the ceiling. "Me too."

* * *

END SEASON 2


End file.
